


Amnesia

by Phantom_Nightz



Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Attacks, Blood and Injury, Caves, Corruption, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fights, Hurt/Comfort, Illusions, Injury, M/M, Magic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Permanent Character Death, Portals, Prison, Psychological Torture, Psychological Trauma, Torture, Unconsciousness, Watcher! Grian, Watchers, Winged Charles | Grian, corrupted codes, fright - Freeform, scared grian, temporary memory loss, watcher xisuma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:13:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 23,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27734377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phantom_Nightz/pseuds/Phantom_Nightz
Summary: Sam comes back to haunt and torment Grian. Xisuma finds him unconscious in the barge and Grian wakes up with no memory of the attack.
Relationships: grian/xisuma
Comments: 10
Kudos: 87





	1. Prologue

_He wandered through portals for ages until someone found him._

**_Two someone'_ ** **_s._ **

_They gave him powers, and he sought out his prize that he lost all the time ago._

_They told him who they lost before that they had made just like him._

_"Find him, and kill him." They said, "You'll be rewarded greatly for the capture."_

_"I will not bring him back alive. He will suffer the consequences from running away."_

_ "Leave no stone left unturned. Dismissed." _

_And with that he went in pursuit to find his capture._

_Grian Xelqua Charleston_

* * *

_I knew something was wrong about that day from the start._

_I had shook it off anyways._

_Something told me that was a mistake._

_I was hunted, lost some memories._

_I couldn't fight it. Him?_

_I couldn't figure out where I was._

_He just kept coming for me._

_Attack after attack._

_No one could figure out what was happening._

_Not even me._

_I thought I knew who it was._

_I couldn't see him._

_I didn't recognize him._

_Xisuma couldn't do anything._

_Not even save me from myself._

** _All this was five days ago._ _  
_ **


	2. It Starts Here

_~Grian's POV~_

I walked out of the nether portal to the shopping district while talking to Mumbo in our chats.

_< Grian> Yeah, no. Watchers are not fun._

_< MumboJumbo> I would assume not comparing what they did to you._

_< Grian> Years of torture and regret._

_< MumboJumbo> And you ran._

_< Grian> I was about to be executed. _

_< Grian> So of coarse I ran._

_< MumboJumbo> Okay, what're you doing?_

_< Grian> In the barge checking stock._

And with that last text to Mumbo I looked up from my communicator and let the holographic screen close against my wrist walking into the barge entrance.

I sighed before talking to myself, "Okay, let's see here..."

I began rummaging through chests noting down everything that needed to be restocked;

Sand, Gravel, TNT, Logs, Golden Carrots....

"Hello, Gree-on."

I shut the chest quickly and turned around.

"You're supposed to be dead." I said bringing out my Netherite Sword.

"Everyone thinks that." I saw a purple hue appear around his hands, with purple bolts of electricity sparking off of them.

"No... That-"

"Watcher magic." He taunted, "They want no stone left unturned for your kill."

Before I could get a chance to react I was hit with a strong blast of energy and electricity, flying into the chests behind me. The chests fell of top of my body as the world went black.

_~Xisuma's POV~_

I stretched as I walked into the barge.

_This place is a mess..._

_Where's.._

"Grian!"

I ran over to the mess of chests and woods on top of our small hermit, moving one by one off of him, quickly but carefully. As I continued moving the items off of him, I noticed that his communicator was gone from his wrist.

"Oh no... No no, Gri? Grian?" 

He didn't move, I rolled him onto his back and noticed the sparks coming off his torso, the cuts and gashes against his head and other body parts. I quickly grabbed him and flew straight to my base. He was quickly losing blood with how deep some of the gashes were.

_Who did this to you?_

_I'll make sure you wake up, stay with me kid._

_I'm here for you._

_Just stay with me._

_Please._

I got to my base pretty quickly and laid Grian on the bed, then ran to my chests and brought out medical supplies. 

_So glad I provided each Hermit with these._

I attached an IV tube into Grians' hand and began to clean him up.

After an hour I had finished working on him, 

I had wrapped his head and torso in bandages, his arms had gauze pads on them. Now all I had to do was wait for him to wake up.


	3. The Demons In My Head

_I felt like I was falling. Rooms were dark, pitch black. I couldn't tell if this reality was real._

_I felt like I was suffocating._

_I could hear voices..._

_**"Xisuma! I came as soon as I got your message, how is he?"** _

_**"Not good, and he's not waking up. I don't know what else to do."** _

_Xisuma..._

_I can hear you... It's dark..._

_Fire._

_It's everywhere._

_Lightning.._

_I can't think._

_I can't speak._

_**"He's twitching. Why is he twitching?!"** _

_**"Xisuma, calm down. You and I both know that Grian's a watcher. We just gotta stay with him."** _

_...._

_Get away from me._

_Don't hurt me._

* * *

_Pain._

_Exhaustion._

_Weakness._

_That's all I could feel. That's all I could comprehend._

**_"Grian..."_ **

**_"Grian!"_ **

**_"Grian!"_ **

**_"Wake up!"_ **

_Wake up._

_It sounds like such a simple request._

_All I see is fire and lightning._

_What happened to me?_

_Where am I?_

_**"Grian! Oh my Void, he's gonna light the entire place on fire. Scar! Get water buckets! Go!"** _

_**"Xisuma, try and stop him. I'll be two minutes."** _

_Fire?_

_Watchers..._

_They're here.._

_Or is that me?_

_They're demons in my head._

_I can't get rid of them._

_"Xelqua."_

_"He's dead."_

_"Leave him."_

_...._

_**"SCAR. HE'S FADING."** _

_**"KEEP HIM BREATHING. I'M CALLING MUMBO.** _ _**"** _

_....._

_I heard a shrill noise._

_Is this death?_

_Am I dead?_

_......_

**_"He's breathing."_ **

**_"Grian, wake up. We need you to wake up."_ **

_I'm here._

_**"Mumbo's lost. I'll be right back. Keep an eye on him, five minutes."** _

_His voice was louder... I could hear him clearly._

_Scar.. Xisuma..._

My eyes fluttered open and I groaned in pain.

"Grian! Thank the void you're awake."

"What happened?"

A bright light shone in my eyes.

"I was hoping you would tell me."

"I found you unconscious in the barge."

_The barge..._

_Isn't that where this all began?_

"Grian?"

"X... Where am I?"

"My base, I need you to stay laying down. You're hurt, badly."

"Scar and Mumbo are coming soon."

_It's so bright._

_It's too bright... Every sounds seems so amplified._

_It's so loud._

_"Make the noise stop, X."_

"Grian, it's silent in here, the only noise is the heart monitor."

"It's so loud. Everything sounds so amplified."

"I promise you that you're okay. Or at least that you're going to be. I need you to just relax and   
breathe."

It's been a few hours...

They keep talking, my friends, the people I call family.

They keep talking about my situation.

I have no memory of the attack.

They don't want to call it Amnesia.

I still don't get what happened at the barge. 

_"I don't want to bring him outside yet. He's still really hurt."_

_"Xisuma, we know. But we need to find out what happened to him."_

_"Grian has no memories of the attack, what could he tell us?"_

_Grian..._

_Grian..._

_My name._

_My life._

_Grian._

_Grian.._

_Grian..._

_Pitiful child._

_A runaway._

_A traitor._

_I feel like I'm falling again..._

_Deeper..._

_Faster..._

_Darkness._

_It surrounds me like a blanket._

_Last thing I heard was a call of my name._


	4. Xisuma

_"Xisuma... Is he..?"_

**_"He's breathing. He'll be fine. I think."_ **

_"He hasn't woken up since he passed out yesterday."_

_It's been a full day? Why can't I stay conscious?_

**_"I just need him stable enough so that I can keep him awake. I left for five seconds the other day and found someone trying to kill him again."_ **

_ "I hate to ask, but how?" _

_**"Some form of drug and a knife to his throat. We need to find a way to get him conscious and talking to us."** _

* * *

_The watchers weren't happy with my assassination attempt of Grian._

_I failed them and paid a price._

_That price was small._

_"You told us he was dead."_

**_"When I left him he was barely breathing. I assumed the rubble on top of him would kill him quickly."_ **

**_"I was wrong."_ **

_"Don't fail us again, Sam."_

_"We gave you these powers for a reason."_

_"Don't fail us again."_

_I won't._

* * *

I woke up. I could think slightly clearly. I groaned as I sat up in the bed, the red covers falling against my lap.

"Xisuma? Mumbo? Scar?" I called out, but no one answered my calls, "Where is my... Communicator?"

I looked to my right. There was a note written and handled with care. With the IV in my hand, it was a little awkward to grab it. When I opened it, I could immediately tell it was Xisuma's handwriting.

_Grian,_

_I had to step out for a second. If you wake up and are conscious enough to read this, don't leave. You're still a bit unstable and your Watcher powers are a bit uncontrollable._

_I'll be back in five minutes. (3:05PM)_

_-X_

I looked towards the clock, it read 3:04PM.

_He should be back any second then.._

Someone came in through the large door of the base.

I knew that wasn't Xisuma or any other hermit.

"Who are you?"

_"Your worst nightmare."_

He walked towards me with a sword in his hand.

_"I need you to die. And considering you don't remember who I am, this will make this a hell of a lot easier."_

I put my hands over my head as a line of defense.

Items were dropped, last thing I heard before the assailant disappeared was a sword hitting the ground.

I felt careful hands on my shoulders bringing my arms down.

"Hey, Grian. It's me. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay." I said, my voice sounding soft and frail.

"Gri... Who was that?"

_That's a good question..._

_Who was that?_

_Why is he trying to kill me?_

"Why can't I remember anything?"

"We think it's because of the first initial attack that left you unconscious in the barge."

"We just don't know who it is. And you can't go anywhere alone because your communicator is missing and Doc's working on a new one while I disable the old one."

"Xisuma, I don't know what I'm doing. I can't remember anything about the attack, I don't know who's trying to kill me, I don't know what my Watcher powers are going crazy, I-"

"GRIAN!" He shouts looking at the monitor almost frantically beeping, "Calm down, you're going to end up scaring Scar and Mumbo. They're communicators as well as mine are connected to your heart monitor. I need you to calm down."

_**"We'll figure this out."** _

__

_Okay._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

By this time it's been a couple hours, Xisuma has left me alone for a little bit.

_I need answers._

_I know X doesn't want me alone._

_But desperate times call for desperate measures._

_And I need answers._

Slowly I unhooked the IV from my hand, I grabbed my sweater and put it on the foot of my bed, then proceeded to put on my socks and boots.

I began to take the heart monitor off, I made semi-quick movements to out before the hermits came to see what happened. When it was off I grabbed my sweater, put it on and went into the nether.

_~Iskall's POV_ _~_

I was talking to Mumbo when frantic messages were sent server wide.

_< Xisuma> GRIAN'S MISSING._

_< GTWScar> IF ANYONE FINDS HIM RETURN HIM TO XISUMAS'_

_< MumboJumbo> WHAT?! How did you lose an injured hermit!?_

_< Iskall85> I'm with Mumbo on this one, how'd you lose him?_

_< Xisuma> I think he just unhooked everything, but I need someone to find him because he can barely stand and his watcher powers are uncontrollable right now._

_< Iskall85> I'll check the barge._

_< MumboJumbo> I'll check his mansion._

_< GTWScar> I'll check his nether base._

_< Xisuma> I guess I'll check his hobbit hole._

_< Iskall85> Let's move._

I took off quickly towards the barge, Mumbo off in the other direction. I saw a couple other hermits in the skies looking around other shops or going to other biomes.

I let out a breath when I saw him in the barge, I almost fall when I landed inside.

"There you are!" I shouted grabbing his attention immediately, "You gave Xisuma, Scar, Mumbo and I a heart attack. Dude! What're you doing!?"

"I need answers." He said, to me his voice sounded lost, "I don't know what's happening, I need answers, Iskall."

I opened my communicator to tell the others that I found him, but Grian had other plans.

"AH. Ow, dude! What the heck!?"

"Sorry, Iskall." He said with his hand on fire, I took a step away from him, "I can't have you telling the others where I am. I need to figure this out myself."

That was the last thing I heard from him before he brought out his wings and flew off at the speed of light.

"GRIAN." I knew calling after him was useless. I let out a frustrated grunt as I picked up my communicator.

_Charred._

_Now he's off alone._

_Dammit Grian._

_Quit trying to do these things on your own._

_It's going to end up killing you._

I grabbed my rockets and flew towards Grians' hobbit hole. 

I needed to find Xisuma.

He has to be able to help.

I arrived not five minutes later. I flew in through the window, "XISUMA."

"Iskall! What's wrong!?" He shouted.

"It's Grian. I found him in the barge, I went to contact you guys that I found him and he shot my communicator off my wrist." I explained quickly bringing up my communicator for him to see. When he went to grab it I said, "It's charred and he flew off at the speed of light and I have no idea where he went."

"So we got a runaway hermit..." He said almost a whisper, "We need to find him before he gets himself killed. I'm calling an emergency meeting in the town hall. Follow me there."

_< Xisuma> Emergency meeting in the town hall, immediately. This is a matter of life and death._

I followed him out, we made it before any other hermit. I leaned against the throne just trying to focus.

_Grian... This idiot left without a word, he has no communicator and he's hurt... He can't get far on foot._

_Can he?_

Amidst my thoughts I was shaken out of them by Xisuma shouting over the clamoring hermits.

"... He's going to need help. He's lost memories and now he's out alone and I can't track him. Grians' communicator was taken off him and Doc has been working on a new one but I couldn't give it to him before he disappeared. Plus he charred Iskalls'."

"He's out there _alone_!" 

"We need to find him and help him!"

"He could get himself more hurt than he already is!"

_I couldn't keep myself from thinking that something was wrong about this entire situation._

_This is Grian we're talking about._

_Why has he just runaway?_

_"I need to find answers." Is what he said.._

_Something about his voice has been keeping me from thinking bout anything else._

_I know that power from somewhere._

_But Grian isn't one to use his against other hermits._

_Against the people he calls family._

I could feel myself drowning in my own thoughts. I changed my attention to the hand on my shoulder.

It was Mumbo, he silently told me to follow him, ant that is exactly what I did.

"Dude, what're we doing? You know we aren't supposed to be out of an emergency meeting. Until it's over."

"Look, I'm worried about Grian."

"We all are, Mumbo. But you know Xisuma will have our hides if he finds out we're gone."

"He won't find out."

"How? What's your plan Mustache man?"

"There's not a lot of places Grian would go. You said he used his powers on you right?"

"Yeah, why?"

He grabbed my wrist and looked at the burn laying across it.

"I'm thinking that we can probably find him by tracking his powers, but we need to do it in secret so that Xisuma doesn't find out."

_ **"Oh don't worry, at the rate everything is going... Your buddy Xisuma won't be able to find out what happened to you either."** _


	5. The Forest

I wandered through a spruce forest for hours before I ran out of breath and strength.

I sat against a tree and encased myself in a purple dome as I regenerated my strength.

_Why did I run? I'm weak._

_I can't survive well on my own right now._

_Now if that guy comes, I can't have anyone to help me._

_Maybe I should go back..._

_No._

_I need to find out answers._

_But I'm scared._

_And I'm avoiding the only people in the universe who could possibly help me._

_But they're the one's that want me dead.._

_Right?_

_~Iskall's POV_ _~_

"One move and I'm calling Xisuma." Mumbo said, "Wait... You're Sam."

"That I am indeed." He said, "And I've been tasked with killing the boy."

I subconsciously accidentally sent out a video feed from my eye to Doc and Xisuma, by the time I realized it was too late and the two were coming behind Sam and pinned him with a sword against his throat.

"Where is Grian?!" Xisuma shouted, "You're not supposed to be here. Start talking before we kill you."

"What if I told you I know where you can find him?"

Xisuma didn't release his hold, I only saw him tighten it. Right that second all I could see was anger in his eyes.

_He's not okay... Maybe he should take a break._

"Where is he?" I heard Doc say, Mumbo walked closer to the three and I followed.

"This isn't a joke. Where is Grian." Mumbo demanded, "He's out there scared and alone."

"Show me mercy and I'll tell you."

Each of us exchanged looks, I saw X give a small nod but threw Sam at Mumbo and I.

"Put him in a cage and give me the coordinates." He said and flew off.

"He's not okay." I said to the others, they nodded in agreement as we brought Sam down to bedrock where we used some chains to keep him down.

"Tell us where he is. This isn't a question anymore. It's a demand." I said crossing my arms.

"He's so much closer than you think he is."

"Right, you're lying to me." I turned around to grab my sword, "I don't have time for lies. But I certainly don't have the patience for you. I'll just have X deal with you. And he doesn't play well with Watchers."

"Then why is his _boyfriend_ a Watcher? He plays nice with him."

"Because Grian is better than you."

"Is he though? Didn't he use his powers on you?"

"Yes, bu-"

"Didn't he runaway when you hermits found out?"

"Yes..."

"Didn't you, his own friends, SHUN HIM for his powers because you thought he was dangerous?"

"That's not true actual-"

"He ran, didn't he? He's gone, and you think that attempting to interrogate me is going to get you anywhere? The kid is out there scared out of his mind, don't you think?"

I didn't answer him.

"That's what I thought. You're not his friends. You're his coverup."

"That's enough." I growled, "Grian is our friend, he wouldn't use us."

"But he told you that he'd never use his powers on you. Did he not? But he did, and he did it knowingly. He knew what he was doing when he did it."

"He wouldn't use his powers on us unless he was scared for our safety."

"He's using you."

I shot an arrow at the cage in a fit of anger, "Don't talk about Grian like that. He isn't using us as a cover because you want him dead."

"You're so oblivious to it. It's adorable."

"Shut up before I tear you apart limb by limb. Grian loves us just about as much as Xisuma."

"Haven't you ever wondered why he sucks up to him so much? Why your 'admin' has taken such a big liking towards Grian? Your admin is a watcher. And you're all terrible at realizing it all."

_When's my shift over? I'm about to kill this guy._

_~Grians' POV~_

_When I let my consciousness leave me and I fell asleep against a tree I saw myself in the middle of my subconscious._

_**"Grian."** _

_I could feel myself turn around to face the voice._

_"Xisuma."_

**_"Grian, what are you doing? I've been worried sick, where are you?"_ **

_His voice sounded angry and frustrated... It frightened me._

_"I needed answers so I ran. It's nothing about you, or the oth_ _er hermits, X..."_

**_"Grian, you didn't have to run, we would have figured this all out. Just tell me where you are so I can pick you up."_ **

_"X... I can't."_

**_"Grian, I want you to be safe. You don't have a communicator nor do you have the strength to be out on your own for this long. I'm worried about you."_ **

_"Xisuma... I love you, I love everyone, but I'm a danger to everyone around me.."_

_I heard a frustrated sigh come out of him._

_**"Gri, we found out who attacked you. His name is Sam and he was given Watcher powers. I need to find you so that I can protect you."** _

_"X... I don't need protection.."_

_**"Grian, you're hurt. You need people to help you right now. And I'm scared that if you stay out there for too much longer you're going to get yourself killed."** _

_"X... I'm scared."_

_**"Then tell me where you are. I'll come for you so you aren't alone. Please, Grian."** _

_"I don't know where I am... but I know I'm alone and I'm scared..."_

_I felt his phantom hands pulling me into a hug, but I knew it wasn't real, this wasn't physical... But I need him, and he needs me._

_**"What're your surroundings? Maybe I can find you through that. I need to make sure that you're okay."** _

_"A spruce forest. But that's all I know."_

_**"Stay where you are, I'm coming to the nearest spruce forest near the shopping district. I'm coming.** _ _**"** _

__

This all ended abruptly when I heard loud crashes amongst the trees.

_~Xisuma's POV~_

When the visions ended rather violently I grabbed a few stacks of rockets and flew off towards the forest.

About halfway through Mumbo came up beside me and didn't say a word.

"Tell Doc and Iskall to let Sam go. Grian is somewhere in the nearest Spruce forest and we need all hands on deck."

I didn't hear Mumbo say a word as we flew over.

When we got there and landed, we looked around quickly.

"Grian!?" I shouted as we ran through the forest. The two of us stopped running when we heard branches and trees falling.

"Grian..." I said breathlessly, "Mumbo he's here somewhere."

We continued walking until we were both encased in a purple dome.

"What..." I looked out and saw the person who did it, "Grian! Let us out of this dome!" I yelled banging on the magical wall encasing us. Grian only cocked his head to the right and I looked closer at his perplexation.

"Is that..." I silently gasped and took a step back.

_A watcher mask._

_Grian... No.._

"Xisuma what's on his face?" Mumbo asked, I took a quick glance at him then back to Grian.

"It's a watcher mask. If he has that on then _they're_ here as well." I said, "Grian! I need you to listen to me! This isn't you."

He only walked closer and stopped when he was in front of the dome.

"Grian, let us out of this thing. Please." In one last effort to get to him, the real him, I put my hand and my head on the wall, "Just let me help you."

It took a second, but I finally heard and felt pressure on the other side, "I'm sorry, Xisuma... But I can't let anyone get hurt because of me."

"Grian... Don't leave... Please. This isn't you. They'll kill you if you go back."

"With this mask on I don't have a choice." He told me, I could tell he was growing weaker with each word, then there was a loud noise, "They're coming."

_"I love you, Xisuma."_

_**"I love you Grian."** _

__

I lifted my head to see him walk away from us and disappear.

_Dammit Grian... Why'd you have to leave?_

_This all could've been avoided._

_If you had just stayed with me._

As the dome disappeared I fell to my knees, Mumbo put his hand on my shoulder, and tried to assure me that we'd find him and bring him home.

"It wasn't supposed to go this way." I said between tears, "It wasn't supposed to end with him leaving."

I sighed and without another word I got up, took off my helmet and stood roughly where Grian disappeared.

_I can't let him be alone for another eternity. They're out to kill him. And with him being hurt, they'll succeed._

I shook myself out of those thoughts and let my own powers come out. My wings appearing on my back as if I had just left reality.

I turned to Mumbo.

"I'm going after him. I can't leave him there. With that mask his powers are amplified and he can't feel the pain he's in. But deep inside myself I know that I can feel the pain he's in. And that's killing me."

_ "Trouble in paradise, Xisumavoid?" _

__

"Leave my world before _I_ kill you." I growled turning towards him, "You got what you wanted, now leave. Go before I change my mind."

I saw him smirk as he walked towards me, he stopped by my ear;

_ "You have explaining to do to your people. Enjoy your talk." _

__

I paid him no attention and he left my world.

I looked towards the three hermits in front of me.

"Shut off all portal networks. No one travels through dimensions without my say-so."

_**"No one goes alone."** _

_That's an order._


	6. Can You See Him Suffering?

_~Grian's POV~_

I realized when I left that was the last time I would be able to think for myself.

That was the last of my control before the mask made me a complete slave.

I was bounded in purple luminescent chains against my wrists, ankles, and neck. The chain against my neck had a long chain at a tip so that I could be dragged across the plains.

I didn't fight with the Watchers. I couldn't anyways. The mask I had on was cursed, I couldn't take it off. It had to be taken off by another Watcher.

Even that wasn't happening often. The last time they took it off was to put a scar across my right eye. Three large scars going across it diagonally. When that happened I had pulled my hand up to the eye and noticed the blood that trickled down my face was purple and not red. 

My sight was blurry in that eye, I thought I could tell that one thing out of everything that was taken from my person spiritually.

I couldn't think properly, I could barely think.

I couldn't speak.

I was basically a zombie in my own body.

A prisoner trapped in my own mind.

That night wasn't the best in sleeping. I could feel my own spirit and subconscious being put into heavy chains inside my mind.

I couldn't tell if they were real or not though.

They felt real.

I just sat in the corner of my mind as I felt more weak and helpless. I could see visions of memories of the hermits... Of Evo...

_Of Sam._

My one memory that I remembered was the one where I left with Xisuma after running away from these monsters.

Suddenly this thing I was in turned darker, shrinking my spirit smaller.

Black shaded spots covered through the ground and walls, soon to spread to my arms, legs, and torso.

_Corruption._

Sharp spikes/horns appeared on either side of my neck, one on my left forearm, another on my leg. My wings suddenly became jagged and torn, almost of wings of a phantom, my eyes pitch black, my fingers turned into sharp tipped fingers, almost claw like.

It's painful.

This transformation.

This world.

_This life I live._

_~Xisuma's POV~_

I woke up in a shock of panic.

_Can you see him suffering Xisumavoid?_

_**Where are you?** _

_Closer than you think._

_**What are you doing to Grian?** _

_He is none of your concern anymore. He is on the protection of the Watchers._

**_PROTECTION!? You're killing him. Tell me where he is so I can help him._ **

_Xelqua is not of your concern, Xisumavoid. Let us deal with him._

_So I ask you again, can you see him suffering?_

The thought waves left. But that didn't leave my thoughts calm, they left my thoughts racing.

_That's too powerful of a force to be considered okay._

I decided to get up and fly over to our infested hermit jungle and went over to Mumbo's base. From there my plan was to open the portal to the Watcher realm and save Grian.

_ **But that was easier said than done.** _

I reached Mumbo's base almost in record time. I knew that we had shut off Nether portals and the End portal temporarily, but the only portal that we hadn't shut off was Grians'. 

When I walked into Mumbo's base, I saw him sleeping in his bed. Which was normal because it was pretty late at night. But I kneeled beside his bed and shook him awake.

"Mumbo." I whispered, "Mumbo wake up."

"Ugh... X? What're you doing here?"

"I'm going after Grian. And I need you to come with me."

"What? Why me?"

"It's either you or Iskall because you're both his best friends, but the Watchers could take control of Iskall so I decided that you should come with me because your his best friend and I'm going to need some help."

"Let me grab my coat."

I moved out of his way and watched him walk over to his chests and grab his coat. It was just a regular jacket instead of his tux jacket but that was fine. Less chance of being spotted.

He strapped on his elytra and the two of us made our way to Grian's mansion. When we landed in front of his portal my wings folded tightly behind my as I changed the portal to the Watchers.

"Mumbo before we go, I need you to know that whatever is behind this portal is going to be ruthless and frightening. If we get caught, we're going to be as dead as Grian will be when they're done with him. I just need you to not make any moves that'll get us killed. Okay?"

"You got it, let's go... But what about Hermitcraft?"

"Oh.. Right. Uh, hang on."

_< Xisuma> Scar and Iskall are in charge. I'm going off for a bit... With Mumbo._

_< GTWScar> Where?_

_< Xisuma> That's a loaded question._

"Taken care of. Let's go."

We walked into the portal and I changed my entire look. I was now in my black suit without my helmet and purple glowing eyes.

"Have you always had purple eyes?" Mumbo asked me on the opposite side.

"No. It's a part of my powers." I said as I walked past him, he followed close behind me.

We looked around our surroundings. I recognized this room immediately and I grabbed Mumbos' arm and ran behind the wall so that we weren't seen immediately and looked over the corner to make sure that we weren't seen.

"X, what is going on?"

"I'm technically not allowed to be in this room." I whispered, "I was technically banished because I kept helping Grian instead of trying to destroy a world."

I silently winced as I saw two Watchers walk into the room and I went back completely behind the wall and motioned Mumbo to go the direction behind us.

"This place is larger than I remember." I said watching our every move, "One flick of power and we'll be almost immediately found."

We continued down the halls until we heard talking once again, I pulled both of us behind the wall and listened closer.

_"He's the perfect pet."_

_"Xelqua is now the perfect test of our schemes now."_

At that line I crouched to the floor while Mumbo looked over my shoulder. We saw two Watchers and two smaller beings, one resembled Grian and the other resembling Sam.

"Is that..." Mumbo started, I looked closer at Grians' form.

"Corruption..." I said breathlessly, "They corrupted his code."

"Is Grian going to be okay?"

"If I can knock him out and get him back to Hermitcraft so I can uncorrupt it. But he won't be the same Grian. Corruption... It does things to your mind. None of them good."

"You sound like you speak from experience."

"I'll explain that later." I whispered, "His wings... He can't fly. I need one of them to leave so that I can take down one of those Watchers and probably kill Sam because I don't like him."

"In other words you want revenge."

"Yeah, basically."

"Xisuma, be careful with this, would ya?"

"I will. Okay, one of the Watchers left, follow." We walked out from behind the wall and walked towards the three Watchers, the larger one who was holding Grian by chains sent Sam away.

_"Such a good little Watcher. Corruption has made you completely obedient."_

I could see Grians' head twitch as the Watcher grabbed his chin. I summoned a trident and shot the Watcher immediately.

"Let him go." I said walking up with Mumbo, the two snapping their heads towards us.

_"You're supposed to be dead."_

"And you're supposed to be leaving him alone. I guess we both couldn't honour our ends of the treaty."

The Watcher in front of us sighed and dropped the chains on Grian, disappearing on impact with the ground.

"Let him go. I'm taking him home." 

_"He is home."_

"No he's not. We can do this rationally or we can do this irrationally. The choice is yours. But I did strike first, don't waste my patience. It's not a wise idea."

_"You won't make it out alive."_

"Yeah, that's what you think. Mumbo stay here."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Mumbo said backing up a couple steps. 

My wings extended and I went into the air. I knew this Watcher and I knew that they didn't fly well. Besides, I'm stronger in the air than I am on the ground. 

The two of us fought in the air until I finally defeated him in fair combat. His soul dissipated into the air via particles. I landed on the ground and let my wings fold behind my back once more. Then I walked to Mumbo and he handed me a small object that I put into my inventory.

"Where's...." I started then turned around and saw Grian taking steps back, "Gri..." I held out my hand to Mumbo to tell him to stay where he was while I walked slowly towards Grian.

"Grian... Hey buddy.." I said quietly, his back hit the wall and he stared at me frightened, "It's okay, it's me. Focus on my voice... Come out of the void. It's okay." I could see the white of his eyes for a brief second and knew that he was trying. I kept getting closer, slowly and reached out a hand, but Grian shot one of his wings and sliced my hand. I pulled it away immediately and winced.

"Xisuma! Are you-"

"Mumbo, I'm fine. He's just scared. He doesn't know what's happening." I continued to walk to him, when I got close enough, I grabbed him, pulling him close to my chest and he started to fight me. I took out the small object form my inventory as I tried to get Grian to stop fighting me.

"Shh... Grian, it's okay. It's me, Xisuma. Shh.." The small object in my hand was a sedative in a syringe, and I injected it into his neck, "Shh... Shh... Shh... It's okay. It's okay." He stopped thrashing pretty quickly and relaxed against my chest. I dropped the syringe and moved Grian to where I could see his face.

Mumbo looked at me with concern, I just gave him a look that meant to say, 'let's go.' I picked Grian up bridal style and we left, going back the way we came and through the portal.

After half an hour of getting Grian into a secure room/cage, Mumbo left to get some sleep and I opened up my holographic screens and started working through Grians' code. Replacing the corrupted parts of his physical form and replacing them with the pure version of his code.

The server chat was blowing up asking questions but I was ignoring it. It takes a while to uncorrupt a player code.

While I was working though, Scar had come in and started to stay beside Grians' unconscious state. His hands were normal and the majority of the spikes/horns were gone and I was just working on his wings now.

"So... Is Grian going to be okay with all this corruption thing?"

"Not all scars from corruption heal, Scar." I said quietly as I finished the code, his wings going back to their angel-like form, "I know from experience." I rolled up my sleeve to reveal a small spike/horn from my own corruption long ago as I kneeled beside Grians' head, "My only problem was that I had to uncorrupt my own code, so I couldn't fully get rid of it all."

"So this thing..." Scar said rubbing at the spike on Grians' neck, "Is going to stay forever?"

"Yeah..." I said going into a sitting position and letting Grians' head lie on my thigh. My hand went through his hair in a slow motion, "He's probably going to be conscious about it all. There's a lot of mental and psychological trauma that goes with corruption and un-corruption."

"How long are you going to stay with him?"

"As long as it takes. I'm not going to leave him to deal with this on his own. They had his entire code corrupted and that's what scared me. Even his injuries were bad, those may have scarred over and faded a bit but they're still a little noticeable, tell the others to not to mention or talk about them." I sighed, "I'm going to stay with him until he wakes. I'll let you know if he's going to be ready for visitors tomorrow morning."

After Scar left it took about ten minutes for me to fall asleep against the wall, my right arm laid across Grians' shoulder.

_~That Morning~_

I woke up to Grian moving, he made small whines as he laid against his back, his head facing me.

"Hey, Gri." I said softly.

"Hi.." He said tiredly, "Where am I?"

"You're in my base. I had to... detain you while I uncorrupted your code."

"The last thing I remember is being trapped in my own subconscious."

I didn't give a worded response only a sigh as I helped Grian to his feet.

"Corruption is hard, you're probably going to be seeing things that aren't there." I noticed him staring over my shoulder, I grabbed his chin and made him focus on me, "Like whatever it was you were just looking at. I'm going to help you through this, okay?"

"Okay.."

"I'm here for you. Every step of the way." 

I saw him bring his hand to his neck and across the small spike on the side.

"Not all scars heal." He mumbled.

Over the next couple of days I had stayed with Grian and helped him see what was real and what wasn't. It was difficult for him to stop calling on other hermits when he was scared of the illusions in his head, but I was always nearby.

This continued to the next couple weeks, and it scared me.


	7. Run Away

_~Xisuma's POV~_

Grian kept seeing things for the next week since I uncorrupted his code. I've been in close proximity to him in case he went into a psych attack from seeing something that wasn't there. He'd always call out my name when he knew that I was near.

I've been trying to keep him calm ever since he saw a Watcher that wasn't actually there. When he got that scared his fingertips started to sharpen like before. But I noticed immediately and calmed him enough to where he could only really see me and focus on my voice.

Ever since that attack I've been trying to figure out what causes them in him. I've come up with nothing and it's always seemed random.

Today however, I had to tell Grian that I needed to check on my shops and restock them. If he felt something was wrong to give a shout at me for help if he could.

_~Grian's POV~_

Ever since the corruption I've not been the same ever since. There were some days where I couldn't think clearly enough to do daily tasks. Those tasks kept me sane however. 

I had just finished restocking a chest when it felt like a large blanket of darkness filled my head and sight. My body physically fell against the chest. 

_Focus Grian... This isn't real. Calm down..._

My heart was beating out of my chest, my breathing was waved and stuttered.

"Grian!"

At the call of my name it pulled me out of the trance and I looked over at the person who called. 

"Impulse! Hey." I said still catching my breath.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, "I came by to see if you were ready to talk about the new barge expansion."

"Wha- OH. Yeah, no I'm.." I rubbed my eyes with one hand before continuing, "I'm fine, uh.. Yeah, let's talk."

_~3rd Person~_

As the two hermits were talking, they walked out to the smaller barge where Grian had built it.

Their talk was inaudible as Grian tried to focus on the talk instead of the items and illusions that weren't there. He knew that Xisuma was away for a few because he had shops to take care of as well, but Grian just couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.

In the distance there was someone not of their world watching Grian as he talked to Impulse.

After the assailant identified Grian, he looked into his logs and noticed that there were supposed to be two Watchers in this world. 

When Xisuma walked out of his shop the assailant knew that he was the other one immediately.

When Xisuma started running, the assailant watched from above to see what was happening.

"So he's the corrupted Watcher."

_~Xisuma's POV~_

I ran over to Impulse and Grian pretty quickly after Impulse called my name.

"GRIAN." I shouted, Impulse had stepped back a few steps as not to get hurt, "Grian, calm down... Impulse what happened?"

"I don't know! We were only talking about the barge expansion and then this happened!"

"Okay, uh, G. Grian, calm down. Focus." I said softly, walking closer, I didn't get a good look at his wings until he swung one at me in defense and it cut the bottom of my chin. I pulled a hand to it and took a few steps back and winced. When I looked at my hand there was a little bit of blood against it.

I saw Grians' entire form go back to normal, but he was still scared.

"oh my Void... X.. I'm sorry.." He apologized.

"Grian, it's okay, I'm fine." I said trying to walk closer to him, "I'm okay."

Grian, however, wasn't. He looked frantically left and right before standing up and moving away from me.

"Grian, don't run." I said, but my attempt was futile because he flew off pretty quickly, "GRIAN! ugh, Impulse, tell the others I'm going after Grian." 

And with that, I flew off hastily following him. 

After a while of chasing, I finally cornered him at his Hobbit hole.

"X, stop following me!" He shouted, his body trembling.

"Grian, you're scared." I said calmly, "I need you to focus on me and my voice okay?"

"I hurt you!"

"Grian, I'm okay. Corruption is difficult to deal with. It hurts your mind and soul. Trust me, I know."

"But-"

"Grian, just let me help you. I know how to deal with corruption, but I need you to let me in so I _can_ help you."

He only looked at me with tired, but scared eyes as I walked closer to him then pulled him into a hug.

"I just need you to let me in." I mumbled.

When I let him go, I looked into his eyes and told him, I would go to the ends of the Earth to make sure that he was going to be okay. I pulled us both to our feet, but the universe had other plans.

I was shot in the shoulder with what looked like a Watcher arrow. I looked to the source of the shot and saw a Watcher hunter.

"Hello, Xisumavoid. Xelqua."

"Leave us alone." I growled.

"That's cute, you think you can stop me. The Watchers want your heads. But they want your presence first."

Before I could get another word out Grian and I both were caught under a power dampening net.

"No... No no no!" I stuttered, I couldn't get us out from under it. When the hunter walked up to us he stared me in the eye and said;

"The Watchers are going to enjoy your head specifically." He chuckled when I glared at him, "Now then... Let's get this over with. You and your pet are coming with me."

"Grian isn't a pet." After that sentence our world went black and I didn't know what happened after.

_~!!!~_

Before the hunter could take away Xisuma and Grian, he opened a portal to the Watcher realm as Mumbo walked into the Hobbit Hole.

"What is going on here!?" He yelled, "Grian.. X.. Who are you?"

The hunter chuckled and turned to face the mustached hermit, "My name is classified. And you are interfering with my work. So beat it before I have another to deem unconscious."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on." Mumbo threatened bringing out his sword.

"Okay.." The hunter said, adjusting his weapons to knock out a player, he shot a dart at Mumbo who immediately fell unconscious, "That's enough of that. Right, where was I... Oh yeah, transporting the two of you."

The hunters Watcher mark against his shoulder glowed as he dragged the two hermits into the realm, to their new 'home'.

Xisuma woke up roughly three hours later alone in a cell. 

_Grian_

He got up and ran to the bars, "HEY. Guard. Hey."

"What do you want, Void?" The guard asked harshly.

"Where's Grian, and who was the person that kidnapped him and I?"

"Grian is with the Watchers. They're doing with him the way that they treat all Corrupteds. You, of all Watchers should know how that feels."

Xisuma grabbed the guards' shirt and slammed him against his cell bars, "If he comes back to me, and he's in worse shape than he was before we were kidnapped from our home, I will personally make sure that you and anyone who has harmed him, will not see another sun."

"Unhand me before I have to detain you." The guard warned, Xisuma sent him one last glare before letting him go, "One more outburst like that and you're going into solitary."

"Bite me." 

When the guard walked away, Xisuma turned around and sat on the bed and started to make sure none of the feathers on his wings were mangled or twisted.

_One less problem to worry about. Flying._

_I need to see what's going on with Grian and where he is. Some Watchers have no sympathy for others._

Another hour of waiting has passed, and they still hadn't brought Grian back to Xisuma.

The cell door opened with a buzz. Xisuma got up but was immediately told to back up, and he complied. Two other guards walked in and brought in Grian.

Grian had torn clothes, his wings were jagged and mangled. The guards shut the door as X helped Grian to a bed and laid him down in it.

"Keep your pet under control."

"He isn't a pet. Quit treating him like one."

The guards snickered at Xisuma and left. He turned his attention back to Grian. He reached over to the right side of his head and looked at the wound on the side of his neck. Xisuma sighed and brought out his Enderchest and brought out some bandages to clean and make sure the wound doesn't get infected. When he was done with that, Xisuma picked up the chest and sat on the other bed and watched and waited for Grian to wake up.

_His wings are going back to their corrupted state._

He began thinking about Grians' previous corruption attacks that had a physical impact on his life.

_His memory is fading, he's nearly forgotten who I am... Twice, and I've been here all this time._

_He's scared, an-_

_Wait..._

_Scared._

_Grians' scared._

_He's frightened._

_He doesn't know what to do..._

_That's it! Fright, that's what keeps bringing this out of him._

_Maybe if I can just keep him calm, it'll keep him from forgetting more. Or becoming more corrupted than he already is._

Xisuma tried to bring out his holographic admin screens, but they immediately disappeared on him.

"You have got to be kidding. They blocked my admin commands as well."

_I need Grian awake so we can create something that can get us contact with the hermits. There are two portals active. I've only brought Mumbo here. How can I get a message to them and make sure that they can survive in here..._

"You're thinking too deep again, X."

Xisuma jumped at the sudden speaking, "Grian.. Wha-"

"I'm okay." Grian said weakly, and sat up, "What were you thinking about?"

"How we're going to get out of here." Xisuma said, "I figured out what causes your corruption outbursts."

"Really?" Grian asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, I believe it's tied to your fear." Xisuma said, "Think about it, every time this has come out it's because you're scared out of your mind."

"My fear?"

"Yeah, and I'm thinking that if we can contact the hermits we can probably get out of here quicker and safer."

"What's your plan then?"

"I'm thinking we can get a signal back over to Hermitcraft from our communicators."

"How?"

"Maybe with our communicators we can create a holographic call to one of the hermits."

"Xisuma, that can't be done."

"You've done it before, haven't you?"

"Y-Yeah.. But our-"

"I'm sure we can manipulate these to do the same."

Grian thought about it for a moment, "X... I'm not sure..."

"You've been able to do it before. What's stopping you now?"

Grian looked to the ground and thought, then looked at Xisuma, "I'm gonna need some tools."

"That's my boy."


	8. Prison

"So what are we going to need Grian?" Xisuma asked, "You're the expert."

"I wouldn't go as far to say 'expert' but we are going to need a few items." Grian replied standing up and walking to the cell door and making sure there were no guards around to hear them, "I'm gonna need copper wiring, tweezers, screwdriver, some screws, which are in the workshop, some special lenses... which are in the glass department... And that laser module that's in your communicator. But we'll cross that road when we get there."

"Wait how do you know where all this stuff is? I don't even know, I was only imprisoned for about a month."

"That makes us two very different Watchers, X. I was here for four years. There's only two ways to get through prison."

"And those are?"

"Option one is you get into a prison gang, which I'm actually in two..."

"Second option?"

"A body bag. But speaking of my old prison mates... I wonder.."

Grian walked over to the edge of his bed and looked under the thing considering it was three feet off the ground.

"It's still here."

"What is?" Xisuma asked, "Also prison mates?!"

"I was released due to an... unfortunate accident with the crime scene, they had no evidence to convict me. But my gang is called the EnderWings. We were, and probably still are, the most feared gang in the entire complex."

Grian stood up after grabbing two items on the underside of the bed. One item was a bobby-pin and the other was a pager with an .E.W. on it.

"The EnderWings, we have roughly seven members. They're probably still mad because they got caught escaping and I didn't protect them. But they still show loyalty."

"They show loyalty to someone who basically left them for dead?" Xisuma asked, "Also what's the pin for?"

Grian pressed the pager button and heard six other beeps in the room, he put the pager in his pocket then snaked his hands through the cell bars and started picking the lock with the pin.

"To unlock this door so we can meet up with the Wings." Grian said as the door unlocked and Grian opened the cell.

"I'm still trying to process all of this. You're a gang leader who's in charge of the most ruthless gang in all of Watcher history... but you're so sweet."

"In here, X... It's either you get out because of unforeseen circumstances, or you leave in a body bag. There is no nice or sweet Grian here. So get used to ruthlessness." He then motioned Xisuma to follow him down to the lower levels. Grian had a half-limp all the way down.

"The EnderWings usually meet in this hall. Don't do anything stupid and let me do the talking." Grian whispered as they saw the multiple dark coloured wings of each member.

Their murmuring was incoherent as the two hermits walked up to them.

"EnderWings." Grian said, "It's been a while."

The second in command chuckled as he looked at Grians' near-corrupted state, "Well. The king has returned. What landed you back here? Thievery?"

"Treason and corruption, actually. I have a job for you guys."

"Not even one day back and you're already thinking you can come in here and begin to demand orders from us."

"Have you forgotten that the last person to doubt me died to my hand? So are we going to keep testing my patience, or are we doing this job?"

"We're in. Who's the scrub?"

Grian and Xisuma exchanged a glance, "This 'scrub' is my boyfriend, his name is Xisuma. You will give him the same respect you give me."

"Very well, Xel. What's the job? You have our full attention."

"Alright, so we need some items. And you guys are working in the departments I need them from. James, Shameil, Drag I need tweezers, copper wiring, and a screwdriver from the workshop. But only take one at a time as to not look suspicious. Ghost, Savage, I need a spec glass from your department. Make sure it's reinforced."

"What's your plan, and where have you been?"

"I've been in Hermitcraft mostly, X has been kind enough to take me in for the last couple years. Before that I was just wandering the portal nets. The plan is to basically escape by using our friends as a diversion. Everyone gets out and gets to go home. But this plan is not completely thought out yet, so none of this may stay. Stay tuned for upcoming instructions. James, Shameil, Drag, I need one of you to meet me here with one of the items I need at Lunch. We're dismissed."

Grian then took Xisumas' hand and walked away from the EnderWings. Grians' second in command looked at the rest of the gang.

"Are we really doing this?" Ghost snarked, "He's been gone for years and we're just supposed to up and let him back in?"

"Just go with it for now. Xel won't know what'll hit him."

"Trace. Brother, you can't be serious."

"Ghost, deal with it. we'll deal with Xel when the time comes to escape. If you guys didn't notice, he's got corrupted code in him. How much is questionable. But this whole thing isn't going to go the way that Xel wants." Trace looked over at the two Watchers who had just turned the corner, "Follow his orders for now, I'm going to challenge him for his position soon. Then we'll see who's in charge. He's gone soft, all these years with no violence... He's bound to lose some knowledge about prison fights. Sabotage him for the fight."

Grian and Xisuma made their way back to the cell they were supposed to be in. There were two prison guards waiting for them. 

"How did you two get out?"

"Another guard let us out." Came Grians' immediate reply.

"We know what you are. Don't play with us."

"Bite me." Grian said, the two guards left and Grian and X made their way back into their cell and started to discuss how they were going to figure out what to do when they contact a hermit.

"I don't necessarily plan on bringing a hermit here. I plan on having them bring an object from hermitcraft here with some DNA from one of them so it distracts the Watchers long enough so that we can get out safely."

"Something about your gang though scares me G."

"I already know they're planning to overthrow my command." Grian said, "They're all mad because of the last job we all did together. We ended up corrupting and eventually destroying my case files, but not theirs. It was a mistake and they blame me for it, which I don't blame them doing. X, I've been through a lot here. That scar that's across my stomach was from me killing the previous EnderWing leader."

"So how did you-"

"Find out?" Grian said finishing X's question, "Trace isn't that smart. He's easy to read. What he is really good at though is prison fights, which is why I gotta get my hands on a shank before he gets the chance to challenge me for my position. He's not the brightest."

"How-"

"I win by either killing the challenger or the challenger yields in combat."

"You're not the greatest at PVP dude."

"Explain to me how I took down the strongest member of EnderWings and took his title then."

"Okay.. Tell me about your members then. What can we be expecting?"

"Let's start off with the least dangerous out of all of us. Ghost, he's called that because of his white hair and how he can appear and disappear from a scene in an instant. He's just more of a infiltrator than a fighter. A real sweetheart when you get to know him. James and Shameil are brothers, twins even. They're street and air smart. Valuable when you need to get places quickly. Drag and Savage are our marksmen. They have a sharp eye that can analyze every situation that we could find ourselves in. Sav is a very strong Watcher, he's here because he killed one of the rising Watchers. Then there's Trace, we call him that because he's literally like Tracer. He knows what he's doing in a bad situation. Plus he knows how to fight. Which is why he is second in command. The EnderWings are made of elite powered Watchers, it's why people fear us so much."

"I guess that makes sense."

"I hope that does. That's the best explanation I can give. My wings may be black but that won't stop me from getting us back home. Get some sleep, you're going to need energy for tomorrow. That's going to be a whirlwind of events."


	9. Prison (2)

The following morning, it still wasn't great for our two hermits. The Corrupteds were known and separated from the uncorrupted. The marks on their wrists were different. Every Watcher had the traditional Watcher mark. But the ones that were corrupted, had an X in the middle of the mark. Most of the time they were considered to be monsters.

Grian had not slept much that night because he knew that the thoughts in his head were right. He was indeed going to have hell. First day back, and a corrupted. No one treats the corrupted prisoners nicely. Xisuma was lucky enough to be able too hide his corruption scars, Grian couldn't. All his scars were visible and his wings.. Don't even get him started on his wings. His wings were slightly jagged and black, but there were no holes in them. For a moment Grian was thinking that he could have control over all this corruption thing.

Meanwhile he was still trying to piece together his missing memories, he was still attempting to recover them. He still remembered how prison worked, he still remembered that you had to fight to survive. The biggest thing he knew was that Xisuma was only here for a month which wasn't long enough for him to know that you had to be ruthless.

Throughout the day however, Grian met up with Ghost and took what he had to give him. Grian continued to do the daily routine, knowing full well that Trace could challenge him at any moment.

Grian had already gained a screwdriver from Trace so he had unscrewed the vent cover in his cell and put his own communicator in there along with Xisumas' and the copper wire inside it and re-screwed the cover.

Grian was constantly on search with metal detectors, so he hid the screw driver under Xisuma's pillow at first but then resulted to hiding it in his hair. It wasn't the best idea but it worked. 

Throughout the day Grian had to keep himself from getting the tempting option of beating a guard to a pulp. But throughout his two years in Hermitcraft, he knew that violence wasn't the answer to everything.

The EnderWings knew that Grian didn't want to solve anything with violence anymore because of what he was planning with X.

Grian had debts to pay as Xelqua. Most of them not good. The biggest was that he needed to make sure that there would be a chance for Ghost and Sav to get out. He knew that they were innocent, hey shared their stories with him when he first became their leader. 

He was in deep thought at the cafe table while eating with the Wings and Xisuma.

"Grian."

"Yeah?"

"You're thinking again. What's on your mind?"

"A lot, X. I keep remembering things that I don't remember happening and it's driving me mad."

"Try to rela-"

"I can't relax, X. There's a lot going on that you don't understand. And I'm sorry to sound rude or threatening but this isn't Hermitcraft. We can't solve things by mini games or full blown civil war. You're going to end up finding that out pretty quickly."

"XEL."

Grian groaned and looked to who called him.

"What do you want Trace?"

"I'm challenging you to your position."

"Already? I've only been back one day."

"What are you chicken?" Trace mocked then looked to the rest of the gang and shouted for everyone to hear, "Hear that everyone? The legendary Xel is too _chicken_ to take on a command challenge."

Grian silently growled at him and looked at Xisuma who shook his head. Chants of fight began to send through the crowd. 

Grian groaned and got up from the table, "You want a fight? Fine. Let's go. I'll give you the first hit." 

Trace chuckled as he threw the first punch at Grian, but missed.

"I thought this was gonna be a challenge." Grian taunted.

"Grian..." Xisuma said, his tone being a warning. Grian only held out his hand to tell him to stop talking.

After a couple more throws of punches, Grian saw a gleam of light off of something and Trace swung at him with it cutting the underside of Grians' chin.

Grian stumbled back and pulled a hand to the now bleeding cut. He sent a glare Traces way as the other inmates gasped.

"You want to play dirty, fine." Grian growled, grabbing the shiv and putting Trace's head in a headlock with the shiv to his throat. "Yield, Trace. I don't want to kill you."

"You don't have the guts."

Grian's hold on Trace's head and the shiv grew tighter as he brought it closer, almost choking him.

"Try me, Trace. I may have changed but that doesn't mean you can't too. Surrender and you can walk away and not be in the Wings. If you don't, you will die. And I don't think either one of us wants that."

Three prison Watcher guards came up and started shouting at the two.

Trace snickered and tapped Grian's arm twice. He then threw Trace to the ground and threw the shiv to the side. Grian, not wanting to get into more trouble, went to his knees without command and put his hands behind his head. Two of the guards walked up to Grian and cuffed his hands behind his back roughly, then took the two to Solitary. Grian exchanged a glance with X before he left the room.

When the guards got Grian settled into a cell, Grian had immediately sat at the edge of the bed and tried to relax when he saw his hand and eyes had changed.

Grian at first looked in the mirror provided and saw his eyes had turned black. He closed them and took a deep breath, slowly. When he opened them again his eyes faded back to their normal colours. 

Grian then realized that in order to overcome this corruption taking over his mind again, he needed to figure out that it isn't just his fear that brings back out his corrupted parts, it's also his anger. 

As his heart rate went down, his claw like hands went back to normal, wings less jagged than before.

_"Corruption becomes imbedded in your mind. It never goes away completely. No matter if it's all out of your code. It ties itself to the emotions you hate the most."_

Grian couldn't stop thinking about what Xisuma had said to him earlier. 

_Corruption never dies._

Grian looked at the underside of his left wrist. The traditional Watcher mark but an X stood out brightly as it reminded him of what the Watchers had done.

His soul was almost lost. But that doesn't ever mean that he had lost a part of himself. He lost his ability to think clearly, but he had learned to control what he saw most times. His thoughts were toxic but he always knew that there would be someone to help him. 

Through the night, Grian still didn't sleep well. Though he managed to keep his position as leader of the EnderWings, he still hated knowing that people saw him hesitate to kill Trace. He knew that it would come back to haunt him. And probably Xisuma as well.

But only time could tell.


	10. The Dawn of a New Leader

The following afternoon when Grian got out of solitary, he went straight to where the other members were, and was surprised to see Xisuma with them. He walked straight up to Xisuma;

"I need to talk to you."

Then he continued walking. When he realized Xisuma didn't follow him, he looked back at him and made his eyes flash black.

"NOW. X."

"You better go." Ghost whispered to Xisuma, "He seems mad. You never want to test his patience when he's mad."

"Right." Xisuma said then ran to go meet Grian. He quickly found him in their cell. "Grian, is something wrong?"

"No." He replied quickly, "It's much more than that. So much more, and I can't have the rest of the Wings knowing."

"What's going on?" He asked taking Grian by the shoulders.

"The corruption is so much worse than we had initially thought." Grian said, "But I've found a way to control it. It's all connected to my negative emotions, primarily fear and anger. It's why I nearly killed Trace during the fight. But I need your help in doing so."

"Grian, I can't help you control your emotions."

"That's not what I'm asking, X." Grian said, "But what I'm asking is for you to stay by my side while I control this more. I know you will, but anger is the biggest trigger for this thing. And if anyone else knew the entire compound would go into chaos."

"Okay, I will help you as much as I can. And you know that." Xisuma assured, "How far are we on the holocall?"

"We've only been here a couple days, so not far. I'm still in need of some items. Such as the wiring and that glass being the major components. I can't start working until I get those. I'm only scared on how Hermitcraft is doing."

"You're not alone."

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY'VE BEEN KIDNAPPED INTO A WATCHER PORTAL!?" Iskall shouted, "What happened!?"

"I don't know Iskall! I walked in on them being knocked out then I was knocked out." Mumbo protested, "I seriously don't remember anything afterwards. I came straight to you when I woke up on the floor in Grians' hobbit hole."

"You woke up on the floor?"

"Yes, but that's not the point."

"But you woke up on the floor."

"GRIAN AND XISUMA ARE MISSING. Get your head together! That's not what's important." Mumbo scolded hitting Iskall over the head, "We need to talk to the rest of the hermits and find out what the rest of them knew."

"Then call it to the town hall. I'll meet you over."

_< Mumbo> We have a problem, come to the town hall immediately._

_< GTWScar> Redstone problem or midlife crisis problem_

_< Mumbo> It's more than that. People are in danger._

After closing his communicator, Mumbo ran into Iskall's nether portal then went to the shopping district portal to have fast travel.

After a few minutes, every hermit was in the town hall. Mumbo stood atop the diamond throne to catch each hermits attention.

"Guys, shut up a moment. Okay?" Mumbo shouted, "We are all in danger. Grian and Xisuma are both gone. They've been kidnapped by what I assume was a hunter of some sort. But that also leaves us vulnerable because they were our protectors. No body should go alone anywhere, it's too dangerous. Plus there are two Watcher portals open to my concern still. And we have no idea how they work or what could come through them. We'll assemble a rescue party in four days if they aren't back."

"Four days could be too long." One of the hermits said, "What if we don't hear from them?"

"This is Grian and Xisuma we're talking about! They know what they're doing. They know how to survive. Plus Grian is resourceful, he's been able to get calls through dimensions before, I'm positive he'll be able to do it again." Mumbo said, "They're going to be fine. I'm sure of it. We just need to give them time. Until then, don't go anywhere alone."

_"Everyone is in danger."_


	11. Control

"This isn't like a redstone project gone wrong." Mumbo said speaking over the clamoring hermits, "There are lives in danger. Not only ours but also Xisuma's and Grian's. I don't know where they are, but I know it's not a good place. And from what I've heard from Xisuma and Grian, the Watcher realms are dangerous. We just have to wait."

* * *

Today was the day Grian was going to send out the message to the hermits, and he couldn't be more nervous.

"You know what would make this so much easier?" Grian asked, "If we could send fire messages. But of coarse those can't be sent through dimensions."

"That would make things easier wouldn't it?" Xisuma replied with a hum, "How much time do you need for this?"

"Maybe five more minutes? What you're going to say has to be short but detailed, because this is unstable and it'll explode in my hands. We'll have about a minute and a half to send this message out. It'll replay on the hermits wrist until they clear it. Just explain to them that they're going to have to send an object with someone's 'human DNA' on and just throw it through one of the open portals. Then explain what happened."

"Shouldn't I explain what happened first?"

"It might take too much time. So, plan first, then the incident." Grian said then scratched at the bandage on his neck, "I hate this thing."

"I'd assume so. Looks irritated."

"That's because it is. The medics refuse to help me with it. And this is a really deep cut. I'm seriously getting annoyed with how many people keep challenging me. I'm not easily killable."

Xisuma looked at him in disbelief.

"Okay, dying to fall damage or kinetic energy doesn't count."

"You died about ten times while testing things for your Turf War minigame."

"To be fair, Mumbo did the same. We're ready." Xisuma then moved to the farthest corner and Grian made sure their device was ready to show over to the other dimension.

"Ready?" Grian asked, Xisuma nodded, "Alright, go."

* * *

Impulse and Tango were talking to Mumbo when Impulse's communicator started flashing.

"What on earth?" He whispered bringing the device up.

"What is up with your communicator?" Tango asked.

"I have no idea." Impulse replied, he jumped when a holographic image of Xisuma appeared upon his wrist, "X?"

_"Hello hermit. We need someone from Hermitcraft to send an object from our world to the Watcher world, realm, whatever so that it distracts the Watchers long enough for Grian and I to escape. We already have a plan set in place, but by the time we get back we're probably going to be hurt. Or at least one of us. Just watch your communicators for when we join the world once more."_

_"X, we got a problem. And it's not this."_

A scream could be heard before X shouted Grian's name and the message began to replay on Impulses' communicator.

"What just happened?"

"I don't know, Impy. But don't close that message, we have to get to Doc."

"Tango, now is not the time for nicknames. Come on."


	12. Power and Strength

Grian and Xisuma weren't in the best position. After they were caught sending an interdimensional message, they were attacked by the guards and thrown into solitary.

"Y'know... This is not where I was expecting to be after that call." Xisuma said hanging his arms out of the bars.

"Y'know, I didn't expect to be thrown into prison either." Grian retorted finding something thin and sharp in his pocket. He then snaked his hands through the bars and picked the lock.

"How are you always picking locks?"

"You get used to it. Besides, they've moved my execution date and Sam is my executioner." Grian said walking over to Xisuma's cell and began picking the lock.

"When's your execution date?"

"Tomorrow... That's why I got Ghost and Sav out last night."

"Grian..."

"Wha-AH." Grian shouted as his head slammed against the bars dropping the pin into Xisuma's cell.

"Look at this. The little corrupted is trying to escape by picking locks." The guard taunted in Grians' ear, "The Watcher counsel just approved for your execution for today."

Grian looked at Xisuma in a worried look as the guard pulled him off the bars and began walking him out. Xisuma getting close through the bars to watch as Grian was walked out.

Xisuma let out a breathy curse as he picked up the small pin.

_I gotta get out of here and save Grian... I have to rely on the hermits to send in that object..._

He snaked his arms through the bars and tried to pick the lock where Grian left off. It wasn't as simple as Grian had made it look. But Grian was more experienced than him so Xisuma naturally knew that Grian would be quicker at this than he would. But when he finally did, Xisuma snuck out of Solitary and ran up to where the remaining of the Wings were.

"We just saw Xel being escorted out to the execution room. I thought his date wasn't until tomorrow." Drag asked, "And where are Ghost and Sav?"

"Grian broke Ghost and Sav out last night. He's gonna be executed by lethal injection. If we're doing this we have to do this now." Xisuma explained quickly, "Look, he needs our help, you guys in?"

"We may be a gang, but we respect Xel, and don't necessarily want to see him dead."

"I knew you guys had a heart. They're going to allow me in, and you guys remember what you need to do."

"We do. Go, Xisuma." Drag said, Xisuma nodded and ran over to the one of the guards who took him to Grian's execution room.

There he saw Grian laid on his back, his left arm extended out with restraints on every main part of his body. Grian looked through the glass and saw X. When the two made eye contact, Grian raised his right wrist and said something through sign language.

_X I-S I-T R-E-A-D-Y_

When Xisuma nodded his head, Grian looked at him, tears almost perking his eyes.

_X I L-O-V-E Y-O-U_

Xisuma gave a weak smile and signed back;

_I L-O-V-E Y-O-U T-O-O_

One more exchanged look and Grian immediately signed;

_N-O-W_

The lights cut black and suddenly Xisuma was beside Grian taking out the needles and taking off the restraints. The two quickly ran out and met up with the rest of the wings out in the yard.

"Glad to see you're alive Xelqua." The twins said, "Where are we going from here?"

"I'm going to get you guys out of here so you can fly." Grian replied, "Let me see your wings."

"Wait, what're you going to do?"

"I'm going to have to be on foot." Grian said lifting the curse on their wings, "I can't exactly fly right now."

"Why?" Xisuma asked, his tone sounding worried and threatening.

"Because I've been grazed by a bullet. I am literally bleeding out as we speak, so we gotta move fast. They can't catch all of us. EnderWings, go. Get out of here." Grian said, "The wards are down, find your home portals and go."

"May the light guide you, Grian." The EnderWings said, Grian gave a light smile as they all flew off to their own home portals. Grian and Xisuma both exchanging a look and began climbing the fence, and they both ran through the forest and eventually met up with Ghost and Sav at the edge.

"You guys look terrible." Ghost said, "What happened?"

"I was nearly executed." Grian said catching his breath and pulling a hand to his side, "Where's the portal?"

"In the cave."

"We don't have much time. Go."


	13. When Escape Kills

Once to the cave, each of the EnderWing members felt a unknown presence. 

"They did it..." Grian whispered, "We have little to no time before they realize it's only bait. We need to run." 

The whole gang who was broken out due to Grians' quick thinking, all made sure that they weren't being tracked when they walked through the dense forest. Through the forest they encountered rabbits which unsettled Grian, then there were other forest creatures.

Grian, Xisuma, and the broken out EnderWings all got to the one home portal so that they could send Ghost and Sav home.

"Until we meet again." Grian said, "My debts are fulfilled, so are yours. If you need help, don't hesitate to contact Xisuma or I. We'll be happy to help."

"Same goes to you Grian." Ghost said, Grian smiled as he watched the two walk into their home portal.

Xisuma noticed something about the small hermit. His strained breathing, his limping, dilated eyes, and pale skin. He stopped him. 

"X, what're you doing?" 

"Are you okay?" He asked, "You don't look fine. What happened before I got in?" 

Grian sighed, "I was shot, as well as a small bit of the triple kill got into my system while Sam was putting in the needles. X, we aren't safe here. We need to keep moving."

"I'll drop the matter for now. But only until we get to Hermitcraft."

_"You can't hide your scent Xelqua. No matter how corrupted you are."_

"We need to go." Grian whisper-yelled, "C'mon."

As they ran Grian got a strong surge of pain through where he was 'grazed' by a bullet.

"Grian?" Xisuma asked when he realized Grian wasn't beside him, he turned around and found Grian on one knee trying to catch his breath, "Grian!"

"Voice down..." Grian said between breaths, "They'll hear you."

"Grian, right now I'm worried, we're not even half way to the portal and you can barely stand."

"Xisuma, if we don't keep moving, I _will_ end up blooding out." Grian strained pulling his hand away from his body. His hand was covered in purple blood, "I can still feel the bullet insi-"

"It's still inside you?!" Xisuma whisper-shouted, "Grian, why didn't you tell me!?"

"We needed to keep moving." Grian groaned, "Help me move."

Xisuma gave him a worried look but helped him regardless and they continued their trek to their home portal.

They found their home portal rather slowly afterwards, constantly stopping so Grian could catch his breath, as well as making sure they weren't being followed. 

Grian had lost a lot of strength as they were walking. His wings went back to their jagged corrupted state, his left eye started to go back to pure black, and his left hand started to become claws once more. Xisuma had rested him against a tree to make sure that the portal was good for two people. He came back less than a minute later and made sure that Grian was still with him.

"Grian." Xisuma whispered, slightly shaking him, Grian groaned as he looked at him, "Grian, are you sure you're good for portal travel?"

"I'll be fine." Grian said weakly, Xisuma didn't believe him. X put one hand under Grians' chin and looked into his right eye.

"Grian, I don't think you can portal through." Xisuma said worried, "Your right eye is turning yellow due to the triple kill."

"We need to keep moving..."

"Grian, we can't go anywhere. If I portal you through you won't make it alive."

"That's a chance I'm willing to take."

"No it's not." Xisuma said as Grian started wheezing. Xisuma lifted Grians' sweater carefully, "Grian, that's bad. Why didn't you just ask me to help you?"

"X... There's not a lot you can do."

Xisuma glared at Grian and searched his pockets for a pair of chopsticks. He set them lightly in the sot grass then forced Grian to lay on his back. Grian tried to sit up but Xisuma forced his hand onto his chest and pushed him back to the grass.

"Stay. Down." Xisuma warned, "I need to see how deep that bullet is."

Grian didn't fight him any further and let him look at where the wound was.

The wound started as a light graze through the side of his stomach that gradually got deeper where the bullet went into Grians' body.

"Grian, you could either be really lucky or really unlucky here." Xisuma said quietly as he started lightly pushing against Grians' stomach earning a strained grunt from him, "Just breathe. I'm going to have to carry you into the portal."

Grian let out a strained sigh and continued his wheezing breaths as he near screamed when Xisuma picked him up and they ran into the portal.

_~!!!~_

Scar was talking to Mumbo, Iskall, and Bdubs about what they were to do if Xisuma and Grian weren't to return.

"We can't give up on them, but I can't help but think that they could be hurt." Scar said, "It's just... I don't know, I have a bad feel..-"

A portal appeared behind the four and when they each turned around, Scars' worry only worsened.

"Bdubs, call Doc and Cub." Scar said, "Mumbo, Iskall, get me sedatives and a place to keep Grian. GO. X, with me."

Xisuma quickly followed Scar to the nearest bed and laid Grian down in it and took off Grians' sweater immediately.

"What happened to him?" Scar asked, "That wound is deep."

"A lot happened." Xisuma said bluntly, "Can you fix him?"

"What do you take me for X?" Scar groaned grabbing a pair of medical tweezers from his ender chest, opening his server comms, and opened up the hologram x-ray, "Grian, this is going to hurt."

Grian only continued his staggered and wheezing breaths. Scar looked into his eyes but turned his attention back to the wound on Grian.

 _This is so gross._ Scar thought and stuck his two smallest fingers into the bullet hole earning a gasp from Grian, "Sorry, G. Just stay still."

Scar continued to watch through the screen as he made sure that he wasn't touching any vital arteries and veins.

"The bullet is in his stomach. He's got internal bleeding and his left kidney is starting to fail."

When Scar gently grabbed the bullet, Grian nearly screamed and his hands went straight to claws. Xisuma put a hand against Grians' chest forcing him to stop moving.

"I'm sorry Grian, but Doc'll be here soon to give you anesthesia." Scar said pulling the bullet out slowly, "Cub will give you pain killers and we'll make sure you live."

"The portals..." Grian strained, "They need to be closed..."

"I'll handle the portals as soon as you are asleep due to the anesthesia." Xisuma said keeping his hand down on Grians' shoulders to make sure he didn't hurt himself or Scar.

Soon the bullet was out and an alarming amount of blood came out of the wound, "X, get a blood bag, quickly!"

Xisuma didn't say a word but shot up and ran off to get the blood bag and IV. When he returned ten seconds later Doc and Cub were there. Xisuma went onto the opposite side and quickly inserted the blood into Grians' forearm and the IV into his hand. Cub and Doc handing over the two drugs, Grian falling asleep in less than five seconds.

Scar, Cub, and Doc all shooed Xisuma away and worked on Grian. The three each making sure that Grians' was still alive.

"The quicker we can get this into his system, the quicker his kidney will stop shutting down. It's the effects of the triple kill." Scar said taking the one drug that acts as a reverse for the triple kill, "That's about the least amount of my worries. The bullet ran into his stomach and he's got internal bleeding. We need to work fast."

As the main three major medial hermits continued working on Grian, they made sure that they were able to move him to a proper operating room.

Xisuma and the rest of the hermits were stood outside the room. Xisuma was pacing after he had closed the portals that were connected to Hermitcraft.

"X, stop pacing." Mumbo said, "We're all worried."

"It's been two hours and a bit and neither of them have come out and given us an update on Grians' condition." Xisuma said, "I'm worried. He nearly died. He was shot, a few drops of the triple kill got into his blood stream, and he didn't tell me about the bullet."

"X, we need you to take a breath." Iskall said hoping o calm him down, "Grians' in the hands of the best medics on the server."

"I know." Xisuma said softly, "It's just... I found things out about him while we were in prison."

"Like?"

"He was a gang leader, he has killed other watchers, he's been tortured and-"

"Stop talking. Grian will be fine."

"I hope you're right."

_~One Hour Later~_

Xisuma saw Cub nod at the other two medics and walked out of the room.

"How's Grian?" Xisuma immediately asked.

"Not... Not the best." Cub started, "I'm afraid that Grians' organs have started to fail. And beyond our best efforts with the reverse of the triple... The only good news I have at the moment is that the organs that were failing are already starting to recover, but it's very slow. There's not a lot of hope that he'll wake up."


	14. Don't Start What You Can't Finish

Xisuma sat beside Grians' bed using his Watcher powers to try and heal Grians' wounds. Every once in a while he'd see Grians' BP go from too low to just right while he would work on him.

"Come on Grian, wake up." He mumbled, "After doing all we did to escape prison, I can't let you die."

Xisuma looked at the monitor as he focused his power more, the stream of fog-like power piercing into Grians' skin, when Xisuma saw Grians' BP, Heart rate, and breathing go normal, his powers gently pulled out of Grian holding what looked like liquid. With a flick of his hand, it evaporated and Grian shot up in the bed scaring X half to death.

"Oh my Void. Grian, you scared the life out of me."

"What did you do to me?" Grian asked laying down in pain, "Seriously, what did you do to me?"

"I somehow managed to get the triple kill serum out of your body, which is weird because that's not necessarily possible."

"Wait... _You_ took out the most deadly serum known to man?"

"I- Yeah." Xisuma said as he took out his communicator, "How's that bullet wound?"

"Painful." Grian said with a glare.

_< Xisuma> So I did a thing._

_< GTWScar> Oh no._

_< MumboJumbo> Odea_

_< Iskall85> What did you do?!_

_< Xisuma> It's a good thing I promise._

_< Docm77> Spit it out, X._

_< Cubfan135> Xisuma, tell us._

_< Grian> He's trying to say I'm awake and he did the impossible._

_< Xisuma> I wanted to tell them :(_

_< Grian> You missed your chance._

_< GTWScar> Go nowhere, I'm coming._

_< Grian> I'm kinda bedridden at the moment. Can't necessarily go anywhere anyways._

"Ruined my thunder, G."

"You're welcome." Grian said, closing his eyes and rolling his head to the side, "Sometimes your ego can get too big for your own good."

Not even two minutes later, Scar burst through the doors.

"You do know you don't have to knock the doors off their hinges, right?" Xisuma asked, "The door doesn't deserve that."

"Sorry, how's Grian?"

"He fell back to sleep but wi-"

"I'm awake. Scar slamming the doors open woke me up." Grian interrupted.

"Sorry, Grian." Scar apologized moving Grian's hands away from the wound, "Xisuma, what did you do?"


	15. You Don't Have To Hide Little Watcher

"So, you're telling me that _you_ someone who is a _Watcher,_ defied the laws of survival and took out the most dangerous drug?"

"To be fair, Watchers do that a lot, Scar. It's nothing we've not done before."

The voices of the two hermits quickly put Grian to sleep. Before he was completely asleep, he could feel one of the hermits' hands, presumably Scar's, putting slight pressure on his stomach.

_Sitting in a cell, much like his old one, except this time it was cold. Colder than the normal cold you would feel anywhere. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe properly, he felt weaker by the second._

_~!!!~_

"So, everything seems normal." Scar said softly.

Xisuma looked down at Grian and noticed that you could see his breath, it looked frosty.

"That's not normal..." Xisuma whispered, "Grian, wake up bud."

Grian's heart monitor went from normal to 157 BPM.

"Crud. Grian! Grian, wake up!"

When Grian woke up, his skin was ice cold, his breath wobbly.

"Grian, easy. Breathe."

_"C-cold..."_

"Scar, blanket. He must have had some form of vision. Those can get too real for his own good."

"But-"

"Scar, you don't know his powers like I do." Xisuma said, "Get a blanket, even his skin is freezing."

Scar ran out to get another blanket.

_"X.. X.. C-c-cold..."_

"You'll be okay. Stay with me."

_"Powers.. W-weak..."_

Grian's teeth were chittering. His breathing trembling. Xisuma kept him still when Scar ran in with another blanket.

"Heating blanket, here, plug it in."

Xisuma did so and turned it on when Scar draped it over Grian getting his body heat to go back up.

_"Watchers... Cold... Torture..."_

"Grian, don't speak." Xisuma said putting his hand on Grian's shoulder, "You need to get rest."

_"No... Xisuma.. Please.. Watchers..."_

_"They're coming."_


	16. Take Me Back To Where Things First Began

A couple days pass since Grian's recovery and he wouldn't leave Xisuma's side. At least that was until today when he needed to be in the shopping district alone. 

Grian was casually fixing his barge after nothing being repaired for the past three weeks.

When he was finished fixing the hole, Grian leaned against the chests and caught his breath. The wound on his stomach, made it hard for him to gain his strength back.

Ever since the vision he'd only been sleeping a little bit, if not at all.

Grian couldn't remember what had happened in prison, but he knew that he had only escape.

Not only did he need answers, he needed to get his memories back. As quick as they're made, they disappear. Xisuma couldn't find anything wrong in his code, so Grian figured it had to be the original attacks that are causing his memory loss. There wasn't anything they could do about it.

Grian let out a breath, only to gasp when he saw that he could see his breath coming out of him.

Before he could run, he was surrounded by a cage made by watcher magic.

The Watcher in question walked up to him with his hands behind his back.

"Y'know, I like the Watchers. They and I share qualities."

"Sadistic qualities."

"Ah, so you do remember what I've done to you in your past."

"Let me go. I am not your problem. I'm a Watcher problem."

"If you don't remember I'm a Watcher as well, Greon. Turned, just like you. Except I'm loyal and not a convict."

"You have no sense of compassion or good will. You see to their ways like a puppy and follow every order they give you. The longer you go like this, the more you will become a shell in your own mind. You'll become nothing but a zombie."

"Oh Greon... That only happens when you can't handle the powers."

"They're using you to get to me. The moment I am dead is the moment they'll discard you like a small piece of trash."

"No they won't. They love me more than you."

"That's what they told me. And that's what I thought for years. They told me that they saved me, but then they destroyed every world I owned. They don't love you. They're _using you_ because you have connections to _me_."

"You're lying, Greon."

"You're _blind with allegiance._ You don't know what is real and what isn't."

Sam lit his hand on fire, Grian groaned in pain, "Enough talk. Sleep. Watcher boy."

Grian couldn't say anything before darkness surrounded him.

_~!!!~_

Grian awoke in a cell. The mark of the Watchers glowing brightly as his body trembled through the sharp chill of the cell. He could only see himself in a mirror.

No shirt, chains against his wings and ankles. He could start to see the beginnings of the Watchers' most dangerous way of syphoning out magic.

They've only used this method twice in his lifetime, Grian never thought that he'd be the next to endure this torture.

_~!!!~_

"Soon his magic will be completely siphoned out... And then his body will be too weak to carry his life and he'll freeze to death. How do you feel about this, Samuel?"

"A convict deserves to die." Sam responded, the Watcher hummed.

"Good. Now go get Xisumavoid and anyone who may protect him and bring him here."

"Yes master Watcher."


	17. The Missing Link

Xisuma slammed Sam against the wall of the diamond throne as four other hermits were behind him.

"WHERE'S GRIAN!?" Xisuma shouted, "I know you are apart of this."

"Your boy toy is fulfilling his prison sentence." Sam strained when Xisuma put his sword against his throat, "You won't get to him in time."

_~!!!~_

"How do we always get ourselves into these kinds of messes?" Xisuma groaned as the chains around his wrists jingled, "We just escaped from prison three days ago."

"YEAH WELL LIFE ISN'T ALWAYS PERFECT X." Mumbo said, nearly shouted.

"Mumbo, quiet your voice." Xisuma hissed, "This isn't about me."

"Right it's about Grian. Where have you been for him lately? He's been kidnapped twice!"

"I'VE LITERALLY BEEN KIDNAPPED WITH HIM."

The five hermits where then thrown into a cell and Xisuma had a power dampening collar around his neck.

"This is demeaning." Xisuma groaned then looked across the hall, "Oh Void... Grian!"

"What're they doing to him?" Scar asked when he Saw Grian shivering, and purple streaks coming off his figure, "He doesn't look good."

"They're draining him of his power in the most dangerous way." Xisuma whispered, "I don't know how long he's been here but that can kill him. We need to get to him before he freezes to death."

"That's one way glass, he can't see or hear us." Iskall said interrupting Xisuma, "There's no way we're getting out of here unseen either."

Xisuma thought for a second, "What if I told you I know someone who _can_ get in and get out without notice?"

"We wouldn't believe you." Scar said annoyance in his tone.

"Well we can't just leave him in there." Ren said attempting to break the tension, "He might get hurt... Or worse."

"Ren." Xisuma threatened, "His wings will break of frosting before he'll die, and _that's_ more painful than the magical siphoning itself."

Xisuma and the hermits knew they had to move quickly. Grian looked to be on the verge of death any second. He saw something long and sharp on the ground and grabbed it.

"And what are you going to do with that needle?" Mumbo asked when Xisuma walked to the door.

"Pick the lock. I learned some tricks from Grian." Xisuma said then snaked his hands through the thinner bars and began picking the lock rather uncomfortably, "These bars are closer together than the last block we were in."

When the lock was fully picked, Xisuma quickly moved to unlocking the collar and that went faster than the cell lock.

"Let's go." Xisuma said running across the way to Grian's cell.

Grian had stopped moving, stopped shivering, stopped... _breathing._

Xisuma broke the lock and got the 'door' opened and ran immediately to Grian who had stiffened completely.

"Grian?" Xisuma said worriedly, "Oh no, no, no, no."

Scar put two fingers on Grian to feel his pulse, "He's got a pulse, but it's faint."

"Then let's go. Now."

Xisuma picked up Grian and the hermits all quickly made their way to the portal room.

_"C--cold.."_

Xisuma gasped, "Grian, stay with us, we're gonna get you home. Don't worry. We'll get you home and you'll be okay."

_"W--Wat--Watchers..."_

"Don't speak. We'll protect you."

Grian attempted to reach up to Xisuma's shoulder but his body wouldn't comply as the hermits continued running down the halls.

They all dodged Watchers countless times. All the hermits wanted to do, was get Grian home where he would be safer than he would be with the Watchers.

_Nobody should have to go through this. Not even a convict like Grian._

_It's not right._

_It's not humane._

_Then again, when **are** the Watchers humane with their methods?_

_He's weak._

_He needs our help._

_He needs me...._

_And I need him._


	18. Invincible

_Cold._

_That's all I could feel._

_I could barely breathe._

_Is this what death feels like?_

_An endless cycle of pain, cold, and darkness?_

_I couldn't move anything._

_I couldn't **feel** anything._

_I'm scared._

_Weaker than I was than before I was taken from Hermitcraft._

_"XISUMA! I NEED YOUR HELP!"_

_**"What's going on? Is he okay?"** _

_"No, wasn't there a mark on his chest?"_

_**"It... It's gone."** _

__

_Powerless._

_No wings, no magic, no fire._

_Useless to everyone._

_The Watchers didn't value me, or want me anyways._

_They're 'love' is torture._

_Fight the cold._

_I'm not invincible._

_I need help._

_I need Xisuma._


	19. Failure To Respond Will Result In Death

_"You've failed to comply to orders twice, Samuel."_

**_"My apologies, your highness. He's a slippery Watcher."_ **

_"He is no longer a Watcher. But we want his head."_

_"Bring it to us."_

_No matter the cost._

_~~~~_

_Xisuma..._

_Help..._

_I can't..._

_I can't think._

_I can't **breathe.**_

_I can't comprehend where I am._

_Where are you?_

_I need you._

_I'm scared._

_Cold._

_**"Stay with me, Grian."** _

**_"I'm not leaving you."_ **

****

**_"My favourite part of everyday, is being able to talk to you."_ **

**_"Come back to me."_ **

****

**_"Before you, I never thought I could look at someone and smile without a reason."_ **

****

****

**_I need you to be okay._ **

****

****

_I want to be okay Xisuma..._

_I can hear you._

_I can feel you._

_Your thoughts are continuously bouncing through my mind._

_Warmth._

_It came so suddenly._

_Brightness._

_White, Yellow lights..._

_The yellow of your amour._

_Pay attention to me._

_I need you._

_Please._

_Xisuma._

"Listen.. To me."


	20. Listen To Me

_Grian's POV_

"Listen to me, X.." I said weakly, my voice almost inaudible.

"Grian, I'm here." Xisuma said, "I'm here."

"The Watchers.."

"Grian, we have none here. They're all gone."

"No.. X.. Powers.."

"Your powers are gone."

I gathered what little strength I had and grabbed Xisuma's chest plate.

"I need you to listen to me. They're coming for you. They want both our heads on stakes. They'll kill us."

"Grian, lay back down." He removed my hands, gently laying me back down, "You're weak, I need you to regenerate your strength. You're in a really dangerous critical state right now. Just relax."

"I can't relax when I know someone is coming for us."

"People are always going to be after us. But that's not what I'm worried about."

"Then what _are_ you worried about?"

" _You._ You're body temperature is dangerously low. Your body is reacting very oddly with this entire setback."

"You should be worried about the other hermits..."

"Grian, I know I should be worried about them, but nothing's been happening. I don't think they can track us."

"They can track _you._ "

"No one can get here."

"You're wrong..."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I said, you're wrong. Everyone is in danger."

"Grian-"

"No. X, worry about the others. Forget about me."

"You know I'm not going too. I'm not going to let you die."

I felt a warm tear stream down my face, "Some people are worth dying for."

"Don't talk like that, Grian. We'll get through this."

I could hear his voice breaking. It was a slight break, but it still sent out his broken heart at my words.

"Xisuma, I'm on the verge of death... There's no way I'm getting out of this alive."

"You're going too. Whether you think so or not."

I didn't want to argue with him. I didn't want him to think that I didn't want to live.

I do.

He didn't cause this...

He never did.

He wouldn't.

He loves me more than words could speak.

He never wanted _this_ reality to be mine. No matter how much he'd try and prevent it.

"I don't want you to take care of me 24/7 X."

_"What if I want to?"_

_"All I want to know is that you're going to be okay."_

_"No matter where you go."_

_"No matter what you do."_

_"I just want you safe."_

_It's all I ever wanted for you._


	21. When You Rely On Physical Strength

_You can't always rely on physical strength._

_That's what everyone's told me._

_But I always thought I'd have my powers._

_But now..._

_I'm powerless._

_Only under Xisuma's protection._

_He's been helping me through physical therapy to help me gain strength._

_But ever since I lost my powers..._

_I've never been the same._

_I can't ever be alone anymore._

_They're afraid I'll pass out._

_Or worse._

_I always have Xisuma though which is nice. He's helped me through every step._

_Every breath._

_Every beat of my heart._

_He's always there._

_Where ever I turn._

_I can tell he's scared._

_More so than I am._

_I know I'm weaker than I used to be._

_I'm still getting used to having the weight of a normal player._

_It's only been a few days._

_I'm recovering._

_I'm learning to pace myself._

_I'm learning to be human._

_It feels nice._

_But it doesn't._

_It's like a burden off my shoulders._

_But I still worry._

_It's as if all my problems disappeared in one breath._

_But they're still on my mind._

_Nothing I say or do can keep Xisuma away from me._

_He refuses to leave me alone._

_It's actually rather frightening how scared he is._

_He knows that people are coming for us._

_For him._

_For me._

_It doesn't matter._

_Watcher or not._

_**Someone** will **always** be after me._

_Xisuma has VoidWalkers after him._

_Those are scary._

_Glowing eyes with no pupils._

_It seems like they have no body._

_But despite his problems..._

_He's still here._

_He still loves._

_He's still calm._

_He's still with me._

_That is..._

_Until he wasn't._


	22. Until Death Do Us Part

_I've always protected Grian._

_I never thought I'd end up needing to protect everyone._

_I left Grian alone for five minutes one day._

_Gosh was that a mistake._

_He nearly died._

_Now we have a new problem._

_VoidWalkers._

_They're vicious._

_Grian can't protect himself anymore._

_It's why I made the decision to help him every day until he got better._

_But he wasn't getting better._

_I had to leave one day to the Main Hub..._

_He never got help when he was attacked._

_He's been unconscious ever since._

_"He's weaker than when he was with his powers."_

_**"We know. We're sorry we didn't get to him sooner."** _

_"You should be. I told you to be watching him, Scar. This is serious."_

_**"Xisuma, we're aware. But-"** _

_"No 'buts' Scar. You of all people should know this. I called on you to help him the first time and where were you?"_

_**"I couldn't get to him in time."** _

_"Yeah, because now he's in a coma again!"_

_**"X! TAKE A CHILL PILL. He'll be fine."** _

_"How can I take a chill pill when Grian's in a coma again? You know how weak he is. I've spent two weeks trying to get his strength back. And now he's back to this."_

_**"X. Just stay with him then. We've told you that not all of us can be everywhere he is every moment of the day like you."** _

_"You're the head of medical!"_

_**"Again, I'm aware. Just stay here and don't leave."** _

_"I don't plan to anymore."_

_I plan on protecting him as long as I can._


	23. Human

When Grian woke up the next day. He was beyond exhausted, but Xisuma was talking to him and keeping him awake.

"Your immune system isn't what it used to be Gri. You get sick easier." Xisuma said looking at his eyes, "It worries me."

"X.. I know.. But that's one of the few things we can't control."

"Every other biome you go to harms you because your immune system can't handle it."

"The weather changes. I know. Xisuma I don't need a babysitter."

"Right now you do. And that isn't up for debate."

"At this rate you're not only my boyfriend, but DaddyVoid as well."

"Don't you dare."

"What?"

"You know what."

"Okay. Okay. Sheesh, spaz machine."

"You're lucky I love you."

When Xisuma turned around to grab something, Grian taunted, "Oh DaddyVoid... Can you get me some foods please?"

"Grian I swear. I will unhook that oxygen machine."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Did you just say dare?"

"Okay, okay. You've made your point my-"

Xisuma glared at him.

"I was gonna say Void Boyfriend."

"I hate you so much."

"Awe I love you too."

After a couple minutes of just making sure Grian was able to breathe properly, Xisuma started looking at everything else on him.

For a second, Grian chuckled, "Hey, you remember that time when you found me outside in the rain?"

"Yeah. You were singing. But I can't remember what."

"Human by Christina Perri."

"Geez do you relate to that song..."

_~FLASHYBACKY~_

Grian walked outside of the palace as it was pouring heavy rain one day. He was only eighteen, but he still enjoyed the rain. It was calming to him. Something about it just gave him tranquility.

Almost as if he was at complete peace.

His foot splashed in a puddle, he held out his hand and felt the rain drop onto it and sighed.

_I can hold my breath  
I can bite my tongue  
I can stay awake for days  
If that's what you want  
Be your number one_

Each line had a small pause between each other. He saw one of his memories when he was a child out in an open field. Alone, scared, covered in blood from the wrists down. Grian subconsciously rubbed his wrists as he continued singing.

_I can fake a smile  
I can force a laugh  
I can dance and play the part  
If that's what you ask  
Give you all I am_

The memory disappeared as he sung the bridge.

_I can do it  
I can do it  
I can do it_

He turned around quickly swinging his arm as he did so.

_But I'm only human  
And I bleed when I fall down  
I'm only human  
And I crash and I break down  
Your words in my head, knives in my heart  
You build me up and then I fall apart  
I'm only human_

On the second line, Grian fell to his knees, the water on the pavement splashing up with the impact.

Then another memory. His head glanced towards it as his tears mixed with the rain. It showed three Watchers. One holding a bloodied weapon.

_I can turn it on  
Be a good machine  
I can hold the weight of worlds  
If that's what you need  
Be your everything_

He remembered that he managed to get through some of the worst times as a child.

_I can do it  
I can do it  
I'll get through it_

He stood, dismissing the memory promptly.

_But I'm only human  
And I bleed when I fall down  
And I'm only human  
And I crash and I break down_

On the next lines he pulled his hands to his head, gripping his hair, then slammed them into his chest.

_Your words in my head, knives in my heart  
You build me up and then I fall apart  
I'm only human_

_I'm only human  
I'm only human  
Just a little human_

His wings flapped in the air keeping him steady and in one place before he took a shuddering breath, the rain water on the ground basically going in an outward motion when he flew.

_I can take so much  
'Till I've had enough_

He slowly lowered himself to the ground, his voice breaking before continuing with the song and tears flowing with no sign of stopping. His heart felt as it it was breaking into a million pieces.

He knew someone had begun to watch him, but he didn't care.

_Cause I'm only human  
And I bleed when I fall down  
I'm only human  
And I crash and I break down  
Your words in my head, knives in my heart  
You build me up and then I fall apart  
I'm only human_

On the last line his knees grew weak. He planted his palms in front of him as he kept crying. Showing emotion wasn't something he had always done because it was beaten out of him at one point. He only remembered what they were when he realized the life he lived was wrong in every way.

A comforting set of hands laid on his shoulders.

_~!!!~_

Grian smiled at the memory, "That was the day you found me."

"Yeah. Do you remember the words you said to me that day?" Xisuma said in a whisper tone.

"No..."

"'I'm not a Watcher'."

"And I'm not.."

"You're better than a Watcher." Xisuma put his hand on Grian's heart, "You're human. And that's something Sam can't take away from you even after he tried killing you the other day."


	24. Stronger Than You Know

Grian was on the bed in his and Xisuma's shared room, peacefully asleep. Xisuma walked in looking for him, smiled when he saw him sleeping soundly.

For a moment he walked towards the bed, sat close beside him and softly rubbed his exposed shoulder.

_Why can't you always have this kind of peace?_

_It's nice knowing that you can look this peaceful._

_This vulnerable._

_You need me.  
_

_I need you._

_I will always protect you, whether you want me to or not._

He sighed quietly and laid beside him. Xisuma pulled Grian close to his chest. He swore he could hear Grian's breath catch. Only did he fully realize that he accidentally woke him up, was when Grian dug his head under Xisuma's chin.

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

"A little bit..." Grian replied, his voice rather quiet and small, "But I don't mind. You're warm."

"It is rather chilly out isn't it?"

Grian hummed then quickly fell back to sleep.

There the two stayed, peaceful and content. Xisuma holding Grian tightly against him, not wanting to let him go, but also not too tight that he'd harm him.

After a while, Grian felt something poking at his face. He groaned and moved away, only to have the hand come back and Grian wanted to sleep more.

So you know what he did?

He bit the person poking at his face.

"Um... Ow." Xisuma chuckled, then lightly tapped on Grian's head, "Hey, bite, release."

"I wanna sleep more.." Grian whined, but almost incomprehensible because of the finger between his teeth.

"Release. It's time for your meds."

Grian released his hold, "I don't wanna."

"Too bad." Xisuma chuckled, getting up receiving a whine of protest, "Sit up. I'll be right back."

With a groan Grian sat himself up in the bed, sliding himself backwards to lean against the headboard.

When Xisuma came back, he noticed the bags under Grian's eyes as he handed him a cup of water and his two meds he needed.

"You getting enough sleep?" He asked looking at the bags, "Those are deep."

After taking the first pill, Grian spoke, "I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been sleeping plenty. These are from the extra fatigue of not having my powers."

He took the second pill and drank the rest of the water, groaning at the powdery taste of the pill going down his throat.

When he handed Xisuma the cups, he asked, "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Nope!"

"Why?" Grian whined.

"Hermits are wanting a meeting."

Grian glared at him.

"About you."

"Why? I don't need the entire server being stuck on the worry train like you."

"Grian, you can barely hold yourself on your own two legs. It's better for them to see you and make sure you're okay than worry if you're dead. Besides, your health isn't the only thing we're talking about."

Grian sighed, "Fine. Grab my shirt."

"Awe, you don't have to get dressed for me."

"X."

"Fine." Xisuma chuckled tossing him his shirt, "But I like what I saw."

Grian put on his shirt and tossed his legs over the side and got up with Xisuma's help, then the two made their way to the town hall.

Just about midway in the meeting, the group moved on to the newer problem.

"So with Sam in our world, I'm wanting to have two hermits helping Grian until he's gone."

Grian sat crisscrossed on the ground playing with the hem of his sweater, but glared at Xisuma when he heard him say that.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Then stop talking about me like I'm a handicap! Xisuma, I'm not completely helpless."

"Grian-"

"You're just worried. I know. Come up with another reason."

"Because I love you and I care about you."

Xisuma continued the meeting despite Grian's glares.

Grian heard something from the side and he turned towards the mysterious noise, only to see a small part of wings go across the gap.

"Uh, X?" Grian said getting up on stumbling legs, "Xisuma, someone's here. I've just seen wings."


	25. Release

When Xisuma jumped down to the ground, he whispered to Grian.

"Stay here."

Grian nodded and took a couple steps back, Iskall and Mumbo stopping him with single hands on his shoulders.

A laughter was heard around the corner.

"X!" Grian shouted, but Iskall and Mumbo held him back, "Guys, Xisuma-"

"We will help Xisuma." Doc said walking over, "Iskall, Mumbo, keep him there."

"I'm not a child!"

"You're still too injured to fight!" Mumbo said, "We aren't letting you fight anyone yet."

"Mumbo-"

"Grian, we aren't losing you to Sam or any of the Watchers. We can't. Doc, go help X."

"No, Mumbo! That's Sam's laugh. He's still in the server!"

"WE KNOW."

"Wait.. You.. You know?"

"That's why we're in this meeting you weirdo. I thought X told you."

"He.. He did.. I guess I forgot."

"Memory issues from everything you've been through. It's okay, it's normal."

"It's just Sam-"

"He isn't your problem. Okay? Let Xisuma and Doc handle it."

A couple moments later, Doc and Xisuma walked out from the corner.

"He's gone." Xisuma said, "He must have bolted before we got there. Keep an eye out."

Xisuma grabbed Grian's wrist and pulled him out of the town hall like a kid in trouble.

"X.. X!" Grian said trying to get his attention, "XISUMA STOP WALKING AND LISTEN TO ME."

Xisuma sighed and turned towards him, "What?"

"X, I'm not a child. Yes I'm weaker than I used to be, but that doesn't mean I don't know my way around a sword. I need you to understand that." Grian said, "You can't keep dragging me in and out of places that you're going and leaving from. You keep treating me like a five year old that's in trouble in the market. I need you to understand that I don't need to be watched 24/7."

"Grian I-"

"You've been extremely obsessive and overprotective lately. I know you're worried. I know you're scared. I know you want me safe. But you need to start giving me some space. How am I supposed to get better when you won't let me on my own once in a while?"

"Okay. Fine." Xisuma said admitting defeat, "No flying."

"Suma."

Xisuma sighed, "Stay close to the ground. For me?"

"If it'll make you happy, I'll stay close to the ground."

"Okay..." Xisuma hugged Grian then let him be alone for the day.

Grian went to his barge after watching Xisuma fly away.

After a while, someone spoke to him, "So Xisuma is actually leaving you alone?"

"Yeah, but clearly not really, Iskall." Grian chuckled, "There's vultures everywhere."

"What?"

"You, I've seen Mumbo around, I'm pretty sure Scar is here somewhere. I think he's on the second floor." Grian said looking up to the second floor, "So yeah, not completely alone."

"Well, you understand his worry right?"

"Of coarse I do. I'm the closest person who knows everything that's happened to him. And he knows just about everything that's happened to me. So I understand his worry more than anyone else."

"Good to know... I think."

Grian laughed at the cyborgs confusion, "Gosh you're weird when you're confused. Anyways, you gonna buy something? Or are you looking for something?"

Iskall didn't say anything.

"Oh. Xisuma sent you. Hang on one second."

_< Grian> Xisuma, what did we talk about half an hour ago?_

_< Xisuma> You know I can't help myself._

_< Grian> Call off your vultures._

_< GTWScar> We aren't vultures._

_< Xisuma> They aren't vultures._

_< Mumbo> I feel I should take offense to this._

_< Grian> They're vultures. They're here because of you._

_< Grian> I'm not an idiot._

_< Xisuma> Grian, I'm sorry._

_< Grian> No you're not. Don't lie to me._

_< Xisuma> ... Okay. You've called my bluff._

_< Grian> Boundaries, X. I'll see you for lunch._

_< GTWScar> Trouble in paradise?_

_< Xisuma> Shut up Scar._

_< Grian> You get no say kitty._

_< GTWScar> HEY._

_< Grian> Hay is for horses, better for cows._

Grian left the barge and walked to Tango's rocket shop to get rockets.

He filled up the two boxes of fireworks and paid accordingly.

With a small tune, Grian hummed as he walked out of the shop and decided what to do next.

He decided that he'd fly back to Xisuma's base and be a little early.

He stayed relatively close to the trees even though he could fly through the trees safely without clipping anything, but he wanted to be safe than sorry. So every few hundred blocks or so he'd land on a tree to catch his breath.

"Flying takes a lot... That's going to take a bit to get used too." Grian panted as he landed on a taller jungle tree.

He coughed slightly as he gained his breath, then continued flying until he got to Xisuma's.

"Grian, hey!" Xisuma greeted when he landed inside the main tower, "You doing okay?"

"Flying takes my breath away, literally, but I'll get used to it again eventually."

"Yeah, how close we-"

"Completely grazing the treetops. I was fine. Stop worrying."

"I can never stop worrying, you know that."

_~One Meal Later and Two Hours Later~_

Grian was almost completely alone outside his mansion, "Scar, I know you're there."

"Sorry G. I just wanted to know if you had some spruce wood I could borrow."

"Dude, I've single handedly massacred a spruce forest. I think I've got wood to spare." Grian chuckled, "Should be in one of the shulker boxes inside. Take what you need."

"Thanks Grian."

"No problem!"

Eventually, the day went on and at one moment, when Grian was near completely alone, he was pulled aside violently.

Grian pulled out his sword, only to have it ripped from his hand and put into a choke hold.

_"This is the last time you escape the Watchers."_

The hold was tight, Grian couldn't breathe.

"Hey, Grian, I was-" Xisuma said as he walked to where Grian was, "Sam. Let him go. Now."

_"Not a chance. This is the last time he escapes."_

His vision started whiting out before the pressure was suddenly gone with a squelching noise, and a set of hands were on him. 

With a gasp of breath and a cough, Xisuma landed beside him.

"I never should have left you alone."

"Now is.." Grian started but was interrupted by a cough, "Now is not the time for an 'I told you so'."

Xisuma hugged Grian but only lightly as to not injure him more.

_"The legendary Xelqua has a soft side... I didn't know that, it's cute."_

Grian stood and turned around suddenly but Xisuma's hands kept him from falling as he draped them across his shoulders. 

"Ghost!" Grian and Xisuma shouted with a smile. 

"You're welcome. I didn't realize you had a soft side, I always thought you were vicious, Grian."

Grian let out a breathy chuckle, "Well... Sometimes you gotta move on from being a no mercy convict. I just happened to choose the love route."

Grian smiled at Xisuma.

"What're you doing here?"

"I heard you lost your powers..."

"From who!?" Grian asked, Xisuma tapped his shoulder, "Oh. Of coarse."

"Anyways, Xisuma told me that you lost your powers to their.. Siphoning, and I figured you may need my help with your... Code barrier."

"So you're staying?"

"For the time being, yes."

"Okay, you're lucky we trust you."

"Xisuma..."

"Okay, okay. You can make yourself welcome here in the server."

As the day went on, Grian and Xisuma were walking outside when Ghost spoke up.

"We have a problem..." Ghost whispered to the two, "Watchers are breaking down your code barrier."

"But Grian and I made that barrier! They can't get in."

"Grian has been losing his powers progressively even before the ice siphoning." Ghost explained, "So that's how they came and took you two in the first place because his powers were weaker. Now that he's powerless, they've realized that they can break it down."

"Well crap. Can you help us?" 

"Only because you two are my friends and Grian is still recovering."

"Oh gee thanks." Grian chuckled, "How many are we expecting?"

"I can't tell that. My powers aren't that strong, but judging by the loud and strong hits, I'm assuming only two."

"Well that's not too bad.. But it's still bad."


	26. Rise Up

"I don't have any powers." Grian said, "I worry that I won't come out of this alive."

"You will make it out alive." Xisuma said forcing him to look at him, "You'll be safe."

"How many times have you told me that and I've nearly gotten killed?"

"Okay, shush."

"You know I'm right. You're going to have to let me help, powers or not."

"Fine... Make sure the fighter hermits are stocked with long ranged weapons." Xisuma said, "I don't want you a part of the actual fight."

"We're fighting Watchers, X. You need me a part of this fight whether you like it or not."

Xisuma glanced at Ghost, he only agreed with Grian.

"Okay. Long range only."

"I'll get into melee if I have to. I'll gather the flight team as well, load them up with bows and tridents."

With that last sentence, Grian took off. Xisuma and Ghost making their way to the border.

All hermits were with Grian. He was tossing them all long ranged weapons.

"Load up guys. Everyone should be a relatively large distance from the Watchers. Flyers, on my six."

Grian jumped onto some rocks and pulled a hand to his chest. He took a deep breath and made sure that the hermits were all ready.

Grian could hear them murmuring. But he needed to protect his home.

_< Grian> Hermits are armed and ready on cue._

_< Xisuma> Dropping the barrier now._

A couple moments later.

_< Xisuma> Barrier dropped._

Grian was first in the sky. Every other hermit behind him.

_This is my home._

_They are my family._

_They love me._

_I love them._

_If the hermits can fight without powers._

_What's making me different?_

_The fact that I used to have them._

_That was what gave me my physical strength._

_It's difficult to survive without it._

_But I prefer to live without the burden of Watcher Magic._

_I carried the weight of multiple worlds when I was with them._

_Evo._

_Hermitcraft._

_Some other world I've forgotten about._

_They've all relied on me to help them._

_Now they rely on Xisuma._

_He's our leader._

_He's our friend._

_He's our protector._

_I couldn't ask for anyone better._

Grian's elytra broke midflight. He was currently on the ground trying to catch his breath.

He saw one of the two Watchers coming towards him he tried to get out of the way, but his leg and shirt were caught under the rocks.

He managed to get his shirt out with a couple tugs, but his leg wouldn't budge.

Xisuma was on the other side of the flight hermits when he started hearing someone almost whimpering.

_< Xisuma> Where's Grian?!_

_< Grian> I AM QUITE LITERALLY STUCK BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE._

_< Grian> THERE'S A WATCHER COMING._

_< Grian> XISUMA, ON YOUR LEFT._

Grian shouted towards Xisuma through the chaos.

Xisuma tried to get Grian out of the way of a magic blast from the Watchers.

But he wasn't successful.

He _and_ Grian were both caught in the blast, their visions went black. 

When Xisuma woke up the next week, he winced as he sat up.

"Oh crud. Xisuma, you scared me." Scar said when he walked in, "How are you feeling?"

"In a lot of pain. Where's Grian?"

"About him..."

"Where. Is. Grian?"

"After Ghost took care of the Watchers, he took some of your DNA and rebuilt the barrier. But that was only after he brought the two of you to us."

"That doesn't answer my question. But is everyone else okay?"

"Everyone else is fine. They're unharmed. But um.. Grian isn't here... He's in the main hub."

"WHAT!?"

"Take a breath spaz. He's safe in the Main Hub ICU."

"What happened to him?"

"When you tried to save him and protect him... He took the majority of the blast even though you were there. He's currently on a ventilator because he couldn't breathe properly on his own."

Xisuma had no words. He couldn't speak.

"Xisuma, he-"

"I never should have let him in this fight." Xisuma said putting his face in his hands, "This is all my fault."

"Xisuma, he'll be fine. He'll live. He's only in a coma right now. But because of the ventilator, that's why he's in ICU."

"I never should have let him in this fight. I should have just told him to go back home. That way he would have been safe and he wouldn't be in the hospital right now."


	27. Stay

Xisuma watched over Grian, refusing to leave his side as he watched over Grian's limp body.

_I knew this was a bad idea and I still let you talk me into letting you fight._

_Why did I let you fight?_

_Why did I let you convince me that you were okay enough **to** fight?_

_I just need you to be okay..._

_I need you to come back to me._

_Stay with me..._

_I knew I shouldn't have left you alone._

_I knew I shouldn't have let you fight._

_But I still did it because you wanted space and you wanted to prove to me that you're okay._

_But you're not._

_You've not been for a long time._

_Why didn't you just listen to me?_

_Why didn't you just..._

Xisuma wiped his eyes clear, "Dammit, Grian..."

_I need you to come back to me._

_I need to see your eyes again._

_Your blue irises have always brought a smile to my face._

_I'm not wanting to leave you alone._

_Not anymore._

_Not until you're at full strength._

_There will be no exceptions this time._

_I don't care._

_No matter what you say..._

_It will not keep me away from you._

"Xisuma."

He looked at the voice.

"Scar."

"Xisuma, you've been here for a week." Scar said, "You need to come back home."

"I'm not leaving him, Scar."

"Xisuma."

"I just told you, I'm not leaving him."

"Xisuma! You need to come home." Scar demanded walking in front of him so he was looking at him and not Grian, "You need to get some air."

"Grian-"

"Grian will still be here when you come back. There's always someone watching him here, I made sure of it. He's in good hands X. Come. Home."

Xisuma admitted defeat and walked out of Grian's room with Scar.

Over the next couple weeks, Xisuma made sure to visit Grian often but not spending the night.

He was stocking one of his shops when he got a call.

"Xisumavoid."

_"Hello, this is Dr. Young. I'm the doctor taking care of your friend Grian."_

"He's my boyfriend. Is.. Is he okay? What's going on?"

_"Take a breath, Mr. Void. He's doing quite well actually. He's off the ventilator and is currently just on oxygen. He's due to go in for surgery in a week to put a pacemaker on his heart and we need you to come into the room to sign the paperwork approving it."_

"Will it kill him?"

_"I understand your worry. It will not harm him, it will only help him. We do need you to come in and approve the paperwork though."_

"I'll be on my way in five minutes."

He went and signed the paperwork, within the next week Grian was being put through surgery.

Within that day, Xisuma and the hermits were in a meeting room waiting for the call, it had gotten relatively late but they all wanted to hear the call.

When it finally rang at quarter to midnight, Xisuma answered it and put it on speaker.

"Xisumavoid."

_"Sorry for the late call, but we wanted to let you know that the surgery was a success. Grian is perfectly safe and healthy. You can visit him tomorrow afternoon."_

Xisuma let out a relieved breath and leaned against the back of the chair.

"That's wonderful news. Thank you so much. How many of us can see him at a time?"

_"Preferably four."_

"Okay... Okay.. We'll be there tomorrow then."

The call ended, everyone could feel the weight of worry being lifted off their shoulders.

"X?"

"I'm okay, Doc.. I'm okay.. I'm just happy that Grian's going to be okay."


	28. Amnesia

_Darkness is strong._

_I don't remember much, but I knew when I woke up, my chest felt heavier._

I knew when I blinked my eyes and the bright, but dimmed white lights were nearly blinding, I wasn't home.

Beside me stood a man with a clipboard. I could see his eyes glance down at me, he smiled at me. But it wasn't an unsettling smile.

It was a happy smile, relieved, calm.

"Well good morning little hermit." He spoke to me, "How are you feeling after your surgery?"

"Surgery?" I tried saying but only came out as a small squeak.

He hummed before shining a light in my eyes, "I guess you wouldn't remember. Or know.. Do you know your name?"

"N-No.."

"Interesting." The doctor walked around to a nearby drawer and brought out a small device with a screen, "This device here can help me see if you have a mild case of memory loss or if you have amnesia. Just stay still for me, okay?"

I only nodded, then heard the device humming. Within seconds it was done and the room was semi silent.

The heart monitor was still beeping, I could hear the oxygen machine going as well.

"You have mild amnesia, let me call your friends really quick then we'll sit you up."

_~!!!~_

Xisuma was talking to Iskall and Mumbo when his phone rang.

"It's the hospital. One sec." Xisuma said then answered, "Xisumavoid."

_"You already know it's Dr. Young, I wanted to let you know that Grian has woken up, there's a small thing though."_

"Which is?"

_"He has a mild case of amnesia. But it'll wear off eventually."_

"Is he going to be okay?"

_"He'll be perfectly fine."_

"Okay. We'll be down in a bit." He hung up, "So, Grian has a mild case of amnesia. But he's okay regardless."

"Had us worried for a moment."

Within an hour all the hermits were at the hospital, and Xisuma was the first in.

"Ah, Xisuma. Welcome, you know where he's at."

"Yeah, thanks." He walked into Grian's room, he smiled as he let his helmet visor retract and sat next to Grian, "Hey, buddy."

Grian only smiled, "Hey, X."

Xisuma cocked an eyebrow at him, "I thought he had amnesia?"

"He does, it's weird, I'm surprised he knows you."

"I guess not everything was hit." 

Xisuma gently grabbed Grian's hand, "The other hermits are waiting outside. Do you wanna see them?"

"Other hermits?"

_Oh._

"So you only remember me? You don't remember Mumbo or Iskall? Or even Scar?"

"Sorry, no, I don't."

"That's okay.. It'll come back to you."

"I.. Okay."

The doctor began speaking once more, "Well, the amnesia doesn't look to be too bad, so he should be back to normal in a few days at the least. You can take him home on Friday. He'll be strong enough to leave."

"Okay, go ahead and send in three other hermits."

After the hermit's visit with Grian, Xisuma stayed a little longer and told Grian stories of his past and his pesky birds.

"Yeah, the hermits call you a pesky bird."

"I am a pesky bird. I steal crops."

Xisuma chuckled, "You're a mess."

"He's your mess." The doctor chuckled walking in, gently grabbing Grian's right wrist and putting a medical alert bracelet on, "This'll make sure that if you're ever hurt or in trouble, they know you have a pacemaker. It'll help your heart get back to normal and give you a good amount of strength back as well. You won't be as wheezy or as weak as before. So you'll be fine."

Grian smiled, then looked at X with the same smile.

A few days later, Grian was taken home. A couple days home, the amnesia passed and Grian had been prone to wearing a medical alert bracelet saying he had a pacemaker on his heart. 

He and Xisuma were sitting against a tree watching the sunset. The suns rays gleamed over the ocean creating a nice, calm atmosphere. Grian smiled at the setting sun as Xisuma put his arm around his right shoulder. 

He sent a single glance to it, and without another word, he leaned into Xisuma to where he was almost leaning on his chest. X let out a single chuckle as Grian made himself comfortable. 

When the sun fully set, Xisuma realized Grian had fallen asleep against him. 

Peaceful.

Content.

Soft.

Xisuma carefully picked him up without waking him, "C'mon you... Let's go to bed."

Grian snuggled against Xisuma's arms, his head digging into his shoulder as Xisuma walked them up to their little place where they stayed together.

Xisuma laid Grian in the bed, Grian's left arm had been bent but slightly outward and his right under his chin. He kneeled beside the bed with a smile and slowly stroked Grian's cheek.

He moved hair out of his face and gave him a soft kiss against his forehead before getting beside him and pulling the blankets over them both.

With Xisuma's right arm over Grian's right shoulder, he let his right hand latch against Grian's fingers on his left hand and held him close.

Both sleeping peacefully, not wanting to be bothered.

In the following morning, Scar walked in wanting to check in on how he and Grian were. Though he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the two sleeping.

 _Well there's something you don't see everyday._ He thought, then pulled out his phone and sent a picture to the hermitcraft discord.

_Scar: **Sent a photo**_

_Doc: Now that is cute._

_Mumbo: It's not nice to peek, Scar._

_Scar: For your information, Mr. Spoon, I came here to check on Grian._

_Mumbo: Well, excuuuuuse me._

_Scar: Uh huh._

"Scar, what're you doing here?" Grian asked drowsily, "I don't need another babysitter."

"Hey, I'm not a babysitter." Xisuma teased.

"Right, you're puppy guarding me." Grian teased back, sitting up with a stretch.

"Yes, yes I am."

Grian rolled his eyes, "You worry too much."

"After what you've been through, no he's not." Scar interrupted, "He's worrying just as much as he needs too."

"Well, I wanted to check on you two. But clearly you're doing just fine."

"I suppose so."

"Go home, Scar." Xisuma warned, "Leave me to my boy."

"Your _boy?_ Oh you're asking for it."

"I'll leave you to your cat fight." Scar said slowly backing out.

"I'll have you know it's a bird fight, not a cat fight."

"Whatever, G."

With that, he left.

"We should probably get up.." Grian mumbled, but Xisuma was having none of it, he pulled him down to the bed.

"No... No we will not. We will spend the day in bed."

"Demanding much?"

"Protective. It's fine."


	29. When Tragedy Strikes The Server

_It's been a difficult four weeks._

_Xisuma won't let me out of his sight._

_He's been yelling at the other hermits to let me have some freedom._

_I know he's just worried about me._

_I know he's just scared._

_After all..._

_With what happened with Sam..._

_The Watchers.._

_My consciousness..._

_I would be too if it were on the opposite side._

_So it's understandable._

_Even though Xisuma isn't hurt, I'm worried about him._

_It's normal to worry._

_It's okay to worry._

_We weren't expecting what had happened two days ago._

_Nobody came out of that unhurt._


	30. When You're Gone

_There I stood, flaming knife to my throat. Fear coursing through every inch of my veins._

_They were threatening my life in front of everyone._

_I couldn't do anything._

_I stood there._

_Their arms tight around my neck._

_Nothing was the same._

_I was too scared to even move because of the fear inside my bones._

_I couldn't do anything._

_I pleaded for them to leave me alone._

_I knew they never would._

_I knew they would kill me on sight if they wanted too._

_But they wanted my powers._

_They got them._

_Why they're still here for me is what I'm scared about._ _  
_

_"Let him go, now." Xisuma growled, "He isn't your problem anymore. So leave him alone."_

**_"Oh, but he is. We need his blood. Siphoning his powers isn't enough."_ **

_"Why do you need my blood? You can use my power without it."_

**_Silence._ **

****

_That's when I knew something wasn't right._

_Something wasn't normal._

_I could **hear** their thoughts._

_I could feel their emotions._

_When they went to attack Xisuma, I couldn't stop myself._

_"Wait, stop! This world isn't a problem for you. Just let them live and I'll let you do with me as you please in the Watcher Realm."_

_"You can't save me from myself, Xisuma."_

_"You've protected me."_

_Now let me protect you._

_Leaving is the only thing I can do to do so._

_Just let me do this for you, Xisuma._

_My boyfriend._

_My friend._

_The reason I fight._

_You're my happiness._

_You're my strength._

_The love of my life._

_I had once foreseen a long future together._

_But now it's ending._

_Because the next thing I knew..._

_My throat was cut in front of all of them._

_Permanently killed._

_No respawn._

_Just pure darkness._

_I was scared when I only appeared as a spectator._

_I was alone._

_I had no one to hold me and tell me I would be okay._

_No touch._

_No love._

_No nothing._

_I only had the painful image of Xisuma trying to get out of the hermit's grasps as the Watchers collected the blood they needed and left._

_I slowly walked to them._

_I wanted to touch them._

_I wanted to talk to them._

_But I couldn't._

_Xisuma always called me his angel..._

_I've never harmed anyone._

_I've always been nice._

_Now I **am** the angel._


	31. Epilogue

_It's been three weeks since Grian's passing._

_I still can't move on._

_I stare at our bed all day just waiting for him to be there._

_To be home when I get here._

_I miss him._

_I'm alone._

_But it doesn't feel like I really am._

_I swear I can feel his presence._

_But everyday is still the same since then._

_I'd wake up alone._

_Visit Grian's grave._

_Then work all day._

_After everything I did to protect him..._

_I still just can't believe he's gone._

_Prison._

_Sam._

_Attacks._

_Amnesia._

_Mind Control._

_Freezing breath._

_The universal sign that a Watcher is near._

_**~*~** _

_Today, I sat at the top of the mountain watching the sun set and trying to imagine Grian sitting next to me._

_I felt tears streaming down my face as I watched the sunset completely._

_Reminding me of Grian._

_It was almost like I could feel him next to me._

_Three people died that night with Grian._

_We called it **The Night of Mourning**._

_I've always believed in angels._

_More so when I met Grian._

_We've lost a lot of people because of the Watchers._

_All of which we miss dearly._

_But for Grian..._

_Now that he's gone..._

_Not a day goes by where I don't think about him._

_My other three hermits who died that night..._

_I couldn't revive because I didn't have the power._

_That was all Grian._

_"Always look for rainbows when it rains," He said, "But at night look for the stars."_

_"Because one day, I'll be looking down from them at you, watching you live your best life."_

_I never thought of it as anything when he had first said it._

_But now I know._

_I still wish he was with me._


End file.
